Whatever Happens
by kz4valentina
Summary: AU. She's on vacation. He's on vacation. Sparks fly. No Mellie, Jake or Edison (Yay!) **ON HIATUS**sorry
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 _Just when I thought I wouldn't be writing any new fics with everything going on in the show, the idea for this one came to me. Thought I'd try, I heard others say writing something new helps with writer's block. They're probably other fics similar to this one, don't know, not intentional. I had fun writing this, this is how I want to remember Olitz. Enjoy!_

* * *

She needed this badly. One week was all she could afford. One week in Sunny Cancun, Mexico and it would be worth every damn penny. She hadn't been on a vacation like this in years not since her honeymoon six years ago.

Her mother was back at the house to babysit Olivia's four year old son. It had been a rough couple of years between getting a divorce from her asshole of an ex-husband and trying to get her life in order now that she was on her own. It took some steady encouragement from her mother, but finally, Olivia had agreed that some time to herself might help her regain who she was before she became a wife and mother; before becoming someone else's trophy wife and before ending up with someone who claimed to be her prince charming, but was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Sitting in the aisle seat, Olivia glanced around at the other passengers, mostly young couples and college-aged kids, all on a mission to have some fun and let loose. Olivia, on the other hand, wasn't interested in getting hammered, what she really wanted was to sleep in on a king-sized bed without a four year old jolting her awake at six in the morning for cereal and cartoons. What she wanted was to sit under an umbrella on the beach with a book in her hand, and not worry about anyone but herself, something she hadn't had the luxury of doing since Adam was born. Although she loved every second of being a mother, she'd been neglecting herself too long. What she needed was a total makeover, a renewal of the body and soul.

Olivia was happy that she'd had the foresight to get a manicure and pedicure prior to this trip; she couldn't remember when she'd last pampered herself in this way. She was hoping that she would now finally had the time for a full body wax, fresh haircut and highlights. Her hair was too long and frizzy and she couldn't remember when she had trimmed it last.

One thing she hadn't neglected even in her busiest years, was to stay active with Adam and eat healthy as it allowed her body to stay fit and trim. Still, she was a bit nervous about wearing her new two piece bathing suit. After all, she was thirty one and not seventeen.

"Would you like something to drink?" The flight attendant asked, pulling her away from her thoughts.

"Yes, apple juice, please" she said without giving much thought, so was glad that her drink did not come in a juice box.

After landing at the Cancun airport, Olivia grabbed her small red suitcase from baggage check and headed outside to find the shuttle to her all-inclusive resort. After spotting it, she made her way towards the bus, eager to begin the rest and relaxation that awaited her, when she tripped on the curb. Just as she braced herself for a nasty fall, a pair of strong arms caught her in the nick of time.

"Whoa, careful there," a deep baritone voice said to her.

When she looked up to thank her savior, she felt her face heat in embarrassment. Helping her to steady herself was the most beautiful man Olivia had seen in real life. He looked like a model with his chiseled jaw line and manly face. His light blue shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and Olivia couldn't help but notice the muscles that were visible there.

"Thanks, I think I got it," Olivia murmured trying to not stare at the tall handsome stranger. His dark penetrating gaze was fixed on her with concern.

"That would have been a shitty way to begin your vacation," he said with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yeah, it would have been my luck too," she signed, reaching for her bag that was now lying on its side on the concrete.

"Here, let me get that," the sexy stranger offered, grabbing the bag, "Are you on this bus here?"

"Yeah, the Hyatt Zilara," She replied with a smile. The resort was a bit pricey but if she could only have one week here, she wanted a little bit of luxury, and she didn't want to stay at a cheaper resort full of college age kids.

"Well, whaddaya know, so am I," he smirked as he handed the bag along with his to the bus driver who shoved it underneath with the rest of the bags.

A small shiver of excitement ran through Olivia's spine at the thought of this man being in the same resort as her. But then, a nagging voice reminded her that she was not here to meet a man. Besides, this guy most likely would have a girlfriend somewhere (she noticed he was not wearing a ring). Just because he had a pretty face didn't mean he was a good guy, she'd learn this the hard way.

"Okay, thanks again," she said to him before turning and hurrying up the steps into the bus, not daring to look back.

After a refreshing shower and a wardrobe change out of her trusty yoga pants into a breezy white sundress, Olivia decided to head downstairs and get something to eat. Uncertain of what she wanted, she settled for the buffet.

"For one," she told the host who smiled before leading her to a nice little table by the window. The sky was already darkening and the oncoming sunset was turning the sky a beautiful mix of pink, orange and purple.

When she told her friends that she was planning on coming here by herself, they all told her she was crazy, especially Quinn. Olivia knew it was risky, but she figured that as long as she stayed on the resort and didn't go out drinking with random people, she'd be just fine. Her party days were long gone. She had other priorities now (namely Adam) so she couldn't lose her head. The purpose of this trip was to relax and not waking up with a hangover.

"Hey, it's my damsel in distress," a voice sounds from nearby.

Olivia turns to see Handsome Savior from earlier, smiling down at her, "do you mind?" he asked, gesturing to the seat across from hers.

"Um…" she started but he was already taking a seat across from hers, "okay."

"I didn't get to introduce myself properly earlier," he said, reaching out a hand across the table to shake hers, "My name is Fitz, what's yours?"

Olivia took his hand and gave it a shake, "Olivia."

"Olivia," her name rolled off his tongue like an inappropriate caress.

She looked away, feeling a magnetic pull she'd never felt before.

"Would you mind if I join you for dinner?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow at Fitz, "really?"

"Sure. Looks like we're both by ourselves, and it'd be nice to have a little company…unless of course you don't want to…in which case I will leave."

Olivia thought about it for a moment. How could she possibly refuse? It was just dinner.

"Sure, I guess that would be okay."

"I guess I'm going to start with the salad bar …then work my way from that roasted pig over there," he told her pointing to the carving table across the room.

Olivia nodded encouragingly.

"Seems like a plan. Care to lead the way?" he said gallantly his words translating to ladies first.

Olivia stood and started towards the salad bar, feeling a little self-conscious knowing that Fitz was right there behind her. She was glad in that moment that she had put in a little effort before coming down. Just because she wasn't planning on meeting anyone didn't mean she couldn't look her best.

Olivia grabbed a plate and started placing various types of salad on her plate, and Fitz was doing the same. As hard as she tried, she couldn't stop stealing glances at him. He was still wearing the same shirt as earlier, but instead of khaki shorts, he now had on a pair of jeans. She wondered why this gorgeous specimen was here by himself. Why he wanted to hang out with her when she was certain his options were limitless. Probably because it's his first night; once he sees what's out there for him, she was certain this was the last she would see of Fitz.

Once her plate was full, she made her way to the table. Fitz was not far behind her. Soon the waitress appeared and took their drink orders, a red glass of red wine for Olivia and a Corona with lime for Fitz.

"So Olivia, what brings you to Cancun?"

"Just a little R and R," she replied with a shrug.

"Same here. Doctor prescribed relaxation," he added with an eye roll.

"Doctor prescribed?" she asked with a slight tilt of the head.

"Yep. Believe it or not.

"Why would a doctor tell you to go to Cancun?"

"Well, he actually didn't tell me to come here," He smirked. "I made that decision on my own, I was burnt out from work. He just told me I needed to take it easy for a while because it wasn't good for my blood pressure. I'm only thirty three, so I wouldn't have to worry about that shit yet, right?"

Wow, he was thirty three. Olivia thought for sure he was younger. "You're practically a teenager," she teased with a giggle. "What do you do for work that had you so stressed out?"

Fitz drew a breath before answering. "I work in uh, security," he said staring back at Olivia.

Somehow, Olivia had the feeling that he was holding back, but decided not to press him on it. Instead, she just nodded and took a sip of the wine she just noticed was there. Fitz reached for his beer and took a sip, his eyes not leaving Olivia's face.

"So how about you, what do you do?"

"Nothing too exciting. I'm a secretary at a law firm. Just your run of the mill paper pusher. It pays the bills," she replied trying to not sound ungrateful. A job was a job and she was glad she had it. She made decent money, not a lot but enough for the bills and a few extra things like this trip she was on.

Fitz smiled and nodded along.

"Sometimes I could do with a little more excitement, "she said before realizing that he could misinterpret this. But Fitz nodded again and worked on his plate.

After dinner was finished, Fitz invited Olivia to join him for another drink at the poolside bar.

Realizing that she didn't want to go back to her room quite yet, she agreed. As she walked through the resort toward a bar, she noticed that Fitz was quite close to her. It sent a warm feeling through her body.

"So, Fitz why didn't your girlfriend come with you? She asked, knowing that this was an obvious attempt to check his relationship status. Even if nothing was going to happen, Olivia knew she wouldn't feel comfortable if she knew he were attached.

"No girlfriend," he replied, the amusement clear in his tone. "I'm a one man show."

"Oh," Olivia cocked her head, feeling relieved, knowing she shouldn't care. Nothing was going to happen with Fitz.

"How about you? Husband or boyfriend back home waiting for you?"

"No," she quickly answered, deciding to leave out the part about the young man waiting for her at home even if he was only four years old.

 **A/N:**

 **Please review and follow if you're interested in more, I got no idea how many more chapters I will write, so it will most likely depend on the response I get**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I' m completely blown away by the amount of reviews, favorites and follows! In all the years I've been writing fanfiction, this is a first. Thank you so much :)**

* * *

After another round of drinks, Olivia knew she should go back to her room for the night. But the more she talked to Fitz, the more her resolve was dissolving. He was funny and polite and the conversation flowed between them on a satisfying plane.

Even though their views on politics differed, they were still able to discuss the upcoming elections in a fun relaxed manner. On the whole, Olivia enjoyed herself, she was happiest when engaged in interesting conversation.

As the night wore on, the conversation turned more personal.

"So Olivia, how's a beautiful woman like you not attached?"

Olivia smiled softly at the compliment. Did he really think she was beautiful or was he feeding her a line? She knew she wouldn't get into the nitty gritty of her romantic past. Her ex-husband was a narcissistic, abusive and philandering man, AND a poor role model for their son Adam. She couldn't bear to see the look of pity that would surely appear on Fitz's face; she'd seen it so many times from so many people, and besides, she wouldn't allow Derek's' memory to ruin her vacation for her. So she decided instead to give him the edited version of her past.

"I am divorced," she replied simply. "For almost three years now."

Fitz nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, a fellow member of the divorcee club."

Olivia looked up from her drink and her expression prompted him to continue.

"My ex-wife left me a couple of years ago. Irreconcilable differences, she claimed. She's re-married now though, married some big shot real estate guy even before the ink on our divorce decree dried." He shook his head in good- natured disbelief, "Get this, they actually invited me to their wedding, and I actually went, can you believe that? Well, at least I had fun, danced with all the maidens and drank all of their champagne!"

Olivia let out a chuckle. "That was big of you, y'know. I don't think I'd be attending any future weddings my ex may have. May God have mercy on whomever he dupes into marrying him next."

Fitz's smile faded, and Olivia realized she may have revealed too much.

"It sounds to me like he's a jerk and a fool to boot. He shoulda have been thanking the heavens for his good fortune of having a woman like you."

Feeling a warm to her cheeks, her eyes dropped to her drink again. She didn't really want to talk about Derek any more, and she really hoped that Fitz wouldn't dig deeper.

"Let's not talk about our exes anymore," Fitz replied as though he'd been reading her mind. "Life's too short to live in the past. "

Olivia smiled at him, relieved."You got it."

Olivia didn't know what time it was when Fitz offered to walk her back to her room. At first, she declined his offer, but he insisted, saying that he would feel better if he knew she got back to her room safely. He was being genuine about this, she could tell; it wasn't simply an attempt to weasel his way into her panties.

Maybe having an escort back to her room was a good idea. She was by herself after all, in a foreign country, and she was kind of tipsy now.

When they reached her door, Olivia had the overwhelming urge to invite him in. But then, she reasoned with herself, it would be foolish to get involved with a man she barely knew.

She pulled her key card from her purse and hesitated, she really didn't want to say goodnight yet.

Fitz stood next to her; she really hadn't noticed just how tall he was, but now, with him staring down at her, she felt small.

"I had a really nice time tonight," he told her, his voice warm and inviting, "thank you for allowing me to hang out with you."

"Same here. I'm sure you'll make some new friends tomorrow and you'll forget all about boring me," she said peering into his eyes, and he held her gaze, the slow burn of intrigue burning in the air.

"Boring?" He grinned. His smile went sideways as though she'd said something funny. "No, no, don't say that. I found you quite refreshing," he took a step closer, "in fact, I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out again tomorrow."

"I was planning on hanging out by the pool with a book tomorrow," she answered, her heartbeat picking up a notch by his proximity. The subtle scent of his cologne teased her nose and she just barely stopped herself from breathing him in. Deep.

"Turns out I was planning on napping on the beach tomorrow, so maybe we can just do nothing...together." Fitz placed a hand on the wall next to Olivia's head.

She looked up at him, wondering what he was thinking about right now. Did he want to come in?

"Olivia?" he murmured, her name rolling off his tongue like an inappropriate caress.

"Yes?" She mumbled as he dipped his head a fraction.

"Would it be okay if I gave you a kiss goodnight?"

Olivia swallowed nervously. A kiss? She hadn't been kissed in so long, she felt like a virgin. Fitz waited for her answer, a smile playing on his lips as he waited. Finally, she nodded her answer. Then, slowly, Fitz stepped closer until her back was pressed up against the door.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he teased, placing his hand under her chin and tipping her face to meet his. "I've been thinking about kissing you ever since I laid eyes on you," he said right before his lips lightly grazed hers before they moved over to her mouth to possess it gently. Her lips tingled with pleasure, she could feel her whole body ignite with arousal and she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck holding him tight. Then she gasped as the warmth of his fingers fell to the small of her back. A satisfied groan escaped his throat, and he wrapped his arms around Olivia so that she could feel his entire body against hers.

All too soon, she broke the kiss before it could turn into something more.

He looked at her with a deep wistful expression, as though she had been his lover in another life and he'd just been waiting for her to come home. "Goodnight, Olivia." he said softly stepping away from her.

"Goodnight, Fitz," she whispered.

He started moving away but then turned on his heel as if he thought better of it. "It was a good kiss, better than I had ever imagined," he told her in that baritone tone of his which she felt deep in her groin.

"It was really good," she stammered, feeling carried away imagining how good he must be in bed. _C'mon, Olivia, just invite him in!_

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

All she could do was nod. "Goodnight, Fitz," she managed at last before he turned and strode away from her.

Olivia released the breath she was holding and unlocked the door. Once inside, she undressed and got ready for bed. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had just kissed a stranger and almost invited him in her bed. What was she thinking? She'd been so careless, yet at the same time, her body felt on cloud nine alive with sensations she didn't know she'd had. As she laid down to sleep, her imagination started running wild imagining all the things Fitz could do with that mouth of his.

* * *

 ** _Day two_**

The next morning, Olivia found herself awake earlier than she thought despite going to bed so late. She gathered her curly hear into a bun with some loose strands and chose to wear her flattering bikini underneath a knitted navy blue tunic which could easily double as a short dress. The bikini was red and with a supportive top that make her boobs look perky and the bottoms were cut in just the right way, accentuating the good parts but still leaving something to the imagination. The tunic was gorgeous and it hugged her figure in the right places.

She headed down to the breakfast buffet feeling confident about her appearance. If Fitz was hanging out with her today, she had wanted to feel good, sexy even. For the most part, her mind was still preoccupied with memories of last night's kiss. The way his mouth moved so expertly and smoothly against hers, the way he tasted faintly of limes. His hands were strong but gentle and she ached to know what they would feel like against her naked skin. God, it had been so long since she had good sex.

Just as Olivia was being shown to a table, she spotted Fitz. He was seated across from her focused on a newspaper and his breakfast.

Watching him from afar, she ordered an orange juice before heading down for the buffet. She wondered whether he'd given their kiss much thought while helping herself to a plate of Mexican style scrambled eggs. She dared one look in his direction. She blinked, surprised to see him right there on the other side of the buffet line.

"Good morning, Olivia," he greeted her, his voice so deep and smooth like honey.

"Good morning, Fitz," she smiled at him trying to focus on choosing between sausage and bacon.

"Did you sleep well last night last night?"  
"I slept like a teenager," she replied with a smirk and Fitz looked up at her in question.

"Isn't the expression, like a baby?"

"It is, but from what I know babies don't really sleep well, yet teenagers can sleep through anything."

Fitz chuckled. "You're absolutely right," he said loading pancakes and fruit on his plate, "Back when I was in high school, you could start a fucking chainsaw in my room and I wouldn't budge."

"So you see, they need to change that expression," she grinned.

"Okay, let's start a petition to have that changed...we just need a couple of thousand signatures," he joked.

"Piece of cake, I already got that many people on Facebook alone," she joked back adding some fruit to her plate and starting to make her way back to the table. Fitz accompanied her and they sat down at her table.

"What about your newspaper?"

"Nah, why would I want to read when I have you for company?" He paused, punctuating his words, giving her time to fully feel the weight and significance of his tone, "I'm assuming we're still hanging out by the pool..."

His words penetrated Olivia's heart, knocking her barriers down. And she smiled like a dreamy teenager. "So you don't mind doing a lot of nothing?"She looked away after a moment, trying to hide the excitement she felt that he still wanted to hang out with her.

"I don't mind, remember I'm on doctor's orders to do nothing but relax."

"Yes, I remember."

"Okay. Great. I will see you there in half and hour or so?" He said standing, "See you soon, Olivia."

Olivia nodded. Watching him walk out of the restaurant, she drew a deep breath. _This vacation just keeps on getting better and better._

* * *

 ** _Half an hour later_**

Olivia Pope-clad in her red bikini- walked across the pool deck and made her way to the nearest vacant umbrella, placing her towel and beach tote on a small side table in the middle of two lounge chairs. Luckily, it was still early enough in the morning and the place wasn't crowded. A sense of peace came over her as she settled into the lounge chair, book in hand. For the first time in years, she had nothing but free time; no hassles or schedules, commutes or deadlines to meet.

She had hardly finished reading the first page of her book when she spotted Fitz Leaning against a marble pillar, looking like a Greek God wearing nothing but a pair of blue board shorts, aviator sunglasses and a grey canvas bag slung over his shoulder. He smiled in recognition when he saw Olivia wave at him. She followed his movements as if in a trance; knew he was in shape, but this? His torso was solid, the body of a runner. Her eyes traveled down his sternum taking her on a journey of perfection and down to the rippling muscles of six- pack abs glistening in the sun.

Next thing she knew, Fitz was stretching out on the lounger beside her. After exchanging a word or two, Olivia was happy to dive in the safety of her book, reminding herself that reading was part of her plan and that she fully intended on following through. Oddly, he didn't seem to mind because he too pulled out a thick book out of his bag and proceeded to read.

Olivia glanced curiously at the cover of his book and was surprised to see that it was a book about true crime. It was far quite different from her book which she liked to refer as 'literary smut'.

"True crime, huh? She couldn't help but comment.

Fitz peeked at her and smiled. "Yeah, I love reading about the inner workings of the criminal mind and what makes them what they are. How about you? What are you reading there?"

Olivia felt her cheeks warm as she shook her head, glad the cover of the book didn't give too much away, hiding the fact that it was full of steamy sex scenes. "Oh, it's just some cheesy romance novel."

After that, they both went back to their respective books, and as Olivia got a little further, she came to a sex scene. Her pulse quickened as she read the filthy words on the page, picturing Fitz as the hero on the page. She soon found it hard to stop herself from unconsciously touching herself in response. And then, much to her chagrin, she peeked over at Fitz and found him watching her. She quickly looked away, embarrassed that she'd been caught staring.

"Good book?" He smirked.

"It's alright," she breathed.

"I enjoyed watching you get into it," he said in a low sexy voice, sitting up and leaning over so he was closer, "Your breathing picked up a little bit and made me wonder what was going on in that book of yours?"

"You _noticed_ _that_?" She blurted out before she could sensor her words.

"I can be quite observant at times. It can be an annoying trait sometimes. So tell me, Olivia... _what was going on_ in your book that had you so worked up?" He pried, lifting his shades, trying to peek at the pages.

Quickly, Olivia set the book down away from Fitz.

"Mm-hmm," he chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

Just when she thought Fitz had lost interest, she picked the book back up, but before she could dive back in, her book was rudely snatched from her hands.

"Hey!" She protested much to his amusement as he quickly scanned the last few pages she was on. She made a weak attempt to snatch it back, but she knew it was too late; he'd have a pretty good handle on what she was reading just by the page she left off on, it was just getting to the main event.

"I've gotta say, this is a hell of a lot better than what I was reading!" He chuckled.

She bit her lip, mortified.

The playfulness in his eyes disappeared as he handed her the book. The way he was looking at her was so intense…. And so ridiculously hot. "I guess I was just trying to find out what was going on in that head of yours...you intrigue me, Olivia," he murmured, giving her a wink so subtle that she almost doubted she had seen it at all. He got to his feet, "I'm going to cool off. Wanna join me?"

She looked up at him and right then, she had the oddest sensation, as though she was being watched. "Later," she said to Fitz, making brief eye contact with a blonde sitting beside a man on loungers at the other side of the pool. The blonde immediately turned to the person beside her in conversation...perhaps to hide the fact that she'd been gawking at Fitz? _Well, better look elsewhere cause he' s taken,_ Olivia thought to herself with a satisfied smile, thinking that Fitz had more than enough sex appeal to draw women like flies after honey.

After swimming a couple of laps, Fitz swam to the edge of the pool closest to Olivia. He got her attention by calling her name, and she looked up from her book to find him grinning at her, resting his elbows on the pool deck.

" C' mon, Liv...live a little," Fitz squinted with boyish charm, "Put down that book and take a dip with me."

 **A/N:**

Please review. Thanks so much for your awesome support!

Ps. rating will later change to M


	3. Chapter 3

Olivia could practically feel Fitz's eyes on her as she made her way across to the shallow end of the pool. The pool deck wasn't particularly overcrowded even though many more hotel guests had arrived since early this morning. She walked directly past the blonde from earlier who seemed busily digging for something in her purse, climbed down the steps and waded into the water -the chill of the water making her shake. At once, Fitz joined her.

"Cold," she said blinking up at him.

He regarded her with an amused expression.

"Fitz, I don't think this pool is heated..."

"The best heat source is the tropical sun..." he grinned. "And besides, it's practically summer."

"Exactly...I don't get it," she had expected it to be warm. She wondered if the beach would be this cold, the Gulf of Mexico was supposed to be warmer than the Atlantic Ocean.

 **"** Hey," he spoke softly, bridging the distance between them. "You look pretty spectacular in a bikini,"

In response she mumbled a quiet thanks.

"This is the part where you tell me how handsome I look," he teased in a light friendly tone.

"Oh, yes... you're a hottie, Ken," she gushed in her best Barbie voice, "can't wait for us to retire in our plastic dream-house."

He leaned back in the water, stretching, his face plastered with a smug smile. " Mock me all you want- but you know you wish I were wearing a speedo."

Unable to return his banter, she struggled to appear cool and unaffected; just the thought of him wearing a speedo thoroughly disarmed her, turning her legs to jello. So she did the only thing she could do: splash him.

"And is that any way to thank me for rescuing you?" He said referring to her near mishap when they first met.

"My prince charming saved the day." She giggled with a dramatic flair, "I will be forever grateful till my dying day."

He laughed and then closed his eyes sinking deeper into the pool until it brushed his chin. She watched him for a full minute; his peaceful facial expression was absolutely breathtaking.

"Aren't you gonna get wet? Fitz asked with a smirk, noting that she was still dry from the waist up.

"I just need some time..."

"The best way to deal with the cold is to take the plunge... Just like that, no anesthesia."

She gave him a shrug content to just wade in the water.

Then, all of a sudden, he lifted her by the waist and dunked her under with him.

"Argh!" she surfaced Dripping, giggling, energized by the cold. "Why you-"

She lunged and tackled him around the waist. She was rewarded with his collapse in the water. Then, she bolted away then around in a circle and sought refuge next to a mother and her infant knowing he wouldn't dare retaliate.

He was after her in a flash, came up to her grinning, flinging his hair to the side to get the hair off his face. "What were you trying to do, check out the family jewels?" He said a little too loudly ( in her opinion but in reality he'd said it just loud enough for her to hear).

Feeling a warmth rise to her cheeks, she quipped, "You're a riot, you know that? What were you in middle school?" She floated away on her back, kicking through the water at a leisurely pace," let me guess...class clown?"

He splashed her in punishment. She giggled, splashed him back and dove under, feeling as if she were starring in her very own falling in love chick flick. Couple meet at the shuttle, he saves her from falling. Couple enjoying dinner, breakfast and lounging by the pool. Couple laughing and splashing in the water...and then later, in bed, making love...

And falling in love. Right now, dripping wet and high on life, she cared less and less about stopping it anymore. Once again, she turned on her back, floating in lazy circles feeling the tension seep from her body; for the first time in a very long time, she was happy. When she got tired of floating and her feet finally touched the bottom of the pool, she found Fitz nearby watching with his back against the pool wall, elbows out and arms resting against the edge of the pool.

She came up to him, smiling. "I lost track of time." It felt good to daydream just like she used to do back in grade school when she'd been young and carefree. "What time is it?"

Fitz glanced at his Rolex Submariner, "Eleven thirty," and then peered into her eyes as though he wanted nothing less but to drown in them **,** "y' know, you were wrong about me."

She cocked her head, "huh?"

"I was President. "

"What-" She murmured, breathlessly, holding his gaze.

"Back in school, " he clarified, "I was class president. "

An hour later

He climbed out of the pool first and then reached down to offer his hand. On reflex, she let him help her out of the pool. And then most unexpectedly, they bumped together.

Whoa! She stumbled back, "Ah, sorry!" holding her hands up as if to keep him away.

His killer smile burned as strong as ever and she guessed he wasn't affected by her nearness the way she was to his...not by a long shot.

Dripping wet in her bikini, Olivia hurried to the loungers to grab her towel, wrapping it around her shoulders and easing onto her seat with as much grace as she could muster.

Taking care not to appear gawking, she eyed him as he quickly dried his strong legs and arms, her breath catching as he draped the towel across his shoulders and rubbed his hair. The ruffled look worked for him. She bit her bottom lip. _Dammit_ , _did any look NOT work for him?_

Shortly after that, a waiter appeared, carrying a tray with margaritas and a dish of guacamole, miniature tacos and fruit which he placed on the side table under their umbrella before discreetly disappearing.

"Did you order these? When?"

He shrugged, making himself comfortable on a lounger, "Just a little appetizer."

"Looks more like lunch to me." She reached for a margarita and then hesitated, "We'll have to split the bill."

He looked away and a low"Uh-huh," vibrated in his throat. If only she knew, he mused wondering what her reaction would be to find out that he was rolling in money. But he couldn't tell her, he didn't know her well enough yet. First, he need to make sure that she cared for him and not his money. To him, money had been more a curse than a blessing especially when it came to his relationships with women; the bottom line was that lots of women were attracted to him and unfortunately he'd come to realize that at least 90% of them were only after his family's money.

She asked him a question which put an end to his musings. "Sorry, didn't hear you," and then quickly added, "Hope you like fish tacos. If not, we can order something else."

"I'm not picky," she said happily digging in. "Hmm...these are delicious. Wow. Never had these before. " Mexican food was not among her top ten favorites.

Fitz opened his mouth to comment but then decided against it.

"Which brings us back to my question...where do you live?" She thought maybe he had a California accent, sounding like a Hollywood star but she couldn't be sure.

He was working on his second taco and waited until he finished chewing before answering, "Los Angeles. How about you?"

"Ann Arbor, Michigan. Born and raised," she replied proudly.

He grimaced. "Too cold for alligators. We in Southern Cali have the finest weather in the world," he grinned.

"There's more to Michigan than the weather." He gave her a skeptical look which prompted her to continue. "You can get the best pastrami in the world at the Zingerman's Deli...believe me, you haven't lived till you had one of those, she smiled a self-satisfied smile.

"Well, I guess I'll have to add Zingerman's Deli to my bucket list," he said with undisputed charm.

There was a short silence between them. "This is the part where you tell me you'll be happy to show me around next time I'm in town."

Olivia cocked her head, clicked her tongue. "Well, you sure are forward...I'll give you that much." She paused to take a sip of her margarita. She watched his amused expression over the rim of her glass. Darn it! That smile of his was simply irresistible, making her brain simultaneously hyper and sluggish. "So... I'm in Michigan and you in California," she did a mental calculation. _One, two, three four. There were like 26 states between them._ Just like in _sleepless in Seattle,_ one of those chick flicks she was referring to earlier.

"I imagine you don't get to travel much in your line of work?" She ventured.

He cleared his throat. "Not really..." he gazed out to the horizon. Now that wasn't a complete lie; even though he did travel a lot, his frequent traveling had little to do with his line of work.

He stood up, stretching. "hey, say...why don't we head out to the beach?" He said hoping she wouldn't see the truth written all over his face. He was a bad liar alright, his mother used to tell him that.

Olivia eyed him curiously. For some reason, he didn't want to discuss his job. Perhaps, he was working minimum wage somewhere, afraid to be judged negatively especially if she made more money than he did. Men and their egos! Fortunately, she wasn't one to measure others by the kind of money they made. A job was a job as long as it was steady work. In any event, she wasn't going to press him on it. She was sure the subject would come up again and they would discuss it when he was good and ready.

"I can't," she said with a hint of regret, she' d enjoyed his company so much, "I got an all appointment in 30 minutes for a spa treatment... Maybe tomorrow?" She couldn't believe she' d been so caught up in Fitz that she' d nearly forgotten **.**

" A spa treatment? Here at the hotel?"

"Yeah," Olivia beamed, she was so looking forward to the experience. "A friend from work couldn't stop gushing about it. That's why I chose Cancun...that and visiting the Mayan ruins in Chitchen Itza.

Olivia spent the next four hours enjoying the royal treatment at the hotel's luxurious spa. The rooms had a gorgeous ocean view, and Olivia felt as though she'd died and gone to heaven. This was the first time she'd indulged in something like this and wondered why the heck she hadn't booked a spa treatment right after her divorce; it probably would have a gone a long way in helping her feel human again.

First on the list was a deep cleansing facial treatment which calmed her skin and took her to a very calm place. The scents of the natural creams along with the hygienist's holistic approach were transforming.

Next was the full body massage that made Olivia feel as though she was floating on a fluffy cloud as she lay down clad in a warm towels on the massage table, all while enjoying a breathtaking view of the ocean through the wrap around windows extending from wall to ceiling. After settling on lavender as her massage oil of choice, the expert masseuse put her at ease by making small talk and discussing the wonders of organic sea salt therapy all while playing a recording of ocean sounds in the background. Slowly, he uncovered each part of her body as he worked the muscles from the scalp down to the soles of her feet, one area at a time, taking care that the rest of her body remained warm and toasty underneath the warm towels, in a heavenly state of relaxation. With long healing strokes, he paid special attention to the glutenous muscles which ran from layers from the lower back to the upper legs, which are typically neglected even though massaging them is an important step in releasing toxins from the body.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, Olivia returned to the same spot at the pool deck with the intention of catching up on her reading before going back to her room. By then, it was late afternoon and the sun was not as bright so she relaxed on a lounger. Half and hour later, she lay with her shades on, book loose on her fingers at her side. Head tilted, hair around her face and shoulders. It was in this position that Fitz found her as he strolled back from the beach.

"Olivia?"

She didn't answer, she was out cold, fast asleep.

Jesus.

She was so fucking beautiful.

Right then his gut tightened. He envisioned their future together, a future she had no idea he wanted with her. It surreal moment considering that he'd only met her two days ago. Truth was, he had known she was the one woman he'd been looking for all his life from the minute he had laid eyes on her.

His gaze moved over her and he gritted his teeth. She had on an orange sundress and while she slept it had twisted around her waist and hips lifted high enough so he could see her orange laced panties. Just a tiny glimpse of the outline of her sexy little slit. Even through the fabric he could see she was completely smooth there. He smiled to himself thinking about her appointment at the Spa this afternoon... did she get a bikini wax too?

The urge to crouch down and lift her dress to get a better look was almost too hard to resist. He ate her up with his eyes like a starving man. Desire flared and he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss that saucy mouth. That's when he spotted something on her upper thigh, vibrant red and green ink, just a sliver of it showing.

Olivia had a tattoo.

Something about that twisted him inside out pushed him beyond reason, and the next thing he knew he was grazing her silky soft skin with the tip of his finger, tracing what he realized was some kind of flower.

Olivia moaned and he pulled his hand back, jarred from his lust fog.

Her head rolled toward him and a second later she scrambled to a sitting position, shoving her shades to the top of her head.

"Fitz?"

So this was what she looked like first thing in the morning, all soft and warm and pliant.

" How did it go...did you enjoy yourself at the spa?"

She smiled, a satisfied dreamy look on her face. ""Hmm? Yes...I feel great...like I floated out of my treatment...I had a facial and body massage. What time is it? " she asked, wondering how long she' d been asleep.

Fitz looked at his watch. "We still have time to make it to the theater tonight...They're showing Evan Peron, did you see the flyer? She nodded. He went on with a wink, "that is, if you're not too tired of me by now..."

" Me, tired?" She raised a brow and pinned him with a warm gaze that clearly stated: _don't be silly._ She felt so comfortable with him as though they'd been friends forever, "Yes, Fitz...I would love to go with you."

* * *

Back in her hotel room, Olivia dialed her mom. It seemed like ages since they had spoken last, so much seemed to have happened in the last two days. And then there was Adam, her little guy. When she heard his little voice say, "mommy," her working mother's guilt reared its ugly head, hitting her full force even though she was technically on vacation. "I know sweetie pie, mommy will be coming back soon, baby...you be good and listen to grandma, ok? I love you so much!" With tears in her eyes, she said good-bye, promising to herself she would make it up to him by taking him out to the park every day to ride his trike even if she was dead tired, even if it meant take-outs and leftovers for dinner.

After that, she called Quinn and told her all about her spa treatment and about meeting Fitz.

At once, Quinn pressed her for more details.

"So what's he like? Is he good-looking?"

"Okay, Yes, he's tall and handsome...and smart." Olivia smiled. "But not obnoxious smart like one of this people who have to tell you their GPA. "

"And...?

Olivia took a deep breath.

"Quinn, I gotta get ready. We're going to see this play in half and hour and I have to fix my hair-

"Liv, wait...You can't leave me hanging!" Quinn protested, the high decibels ripping through Olivia's ear drum. "what's he like, personality-wise? What's his essence?"

"He's a great conversationalist fun to be around. But at the same time he's rather intense- " She sighed, realizing that he'd made her laugh like no other man before him.

"But?"

She should have realized Quinn would hear the ' but' at the end of her sentence.

" But I don't want to rush into things. Only time will tell if...and it' s not like we live in the same state. He lives in Los Angeles, Quinn." She plopped down on the king sized bed and hugged a small pillow to her chest. "I can't just have fling, and I don't do one night stands, " she said mostly to herself. "That's not why I came on this vacation."

"Long distance relationships can be challenging…but it could work, you just have to get a little creative," she heard Quinn say.

"Huh, I don't know know."

Olivia hesitated. Even if distance were not a factor, there was Teddy to think about. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Perhaps, she was being careless, perhaps she was not thinking about what was best for her son. Adam needed her and realistically, she couldn't expect any man to stick around after meeting him, could she? She shook her head, feeling conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to be with Fitz and let it be. But on the other hand, she was afraid she might be setting herself up for some heartbreak; she was still putting herself together after all the damage that Derek had done.

* * *

Later that evening

"I think Evita lived the life that she proclaimed, " Fitz said as they rode the elevator to her room. They had just seen the Broadway style musical based on the **l** ife of Eva Peron whose lover became president of Argentina. The official version portrayed Evita as a champion of the poor who also attacked the rich.

Olivia gave him a thoughtful look. Tonight, she was wearing a pair of high heeled sandals and halter light blue dress- just below the knee- anchored by a sheer chiffon shawl.

"I agree, Evita was a remarkable woman, she had to be in order to become one of the wealthiest women in the world back then. She stayed true to her ideals. Amazing how she championed women's rights and redistribution of wealth…only to suffer such untimely death," she replied, stepping off the elevator. "I think the movie version didn't do justice to all her accomplishments."

"The movie sucked," he went on as they walked the short distance to her door. "But I sure enjoyed watching the show with you tonight."

Olivia turned on her heel and then leaned her back against the door. "Fitz, you got a bit of a sunburn," she murmured studying his face. The lighting in the hallway clearly revealed a rosiness to his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. She stared at his face for a long time, he stepped closer. Unable to resist the urge to touch him, she brought the back of her hand to his cheek, "Did you spend the entire afternoon in the sun? Be careful...you don't wanna end up with a bad sunburn," she went on in a concerned tone, her big brown eyes revealing a world of tenderness.

Fitz gave her a small smile. She cared about him, he could feel it.

Suddenly, the space between them floated into nothingness. And his lips found hers, soft an willing, breathless with wonder. He kissed her slowly, giving himself time to discover the taste of her. It was not the first time they kissed and it felt brand new. There was something exquisitely sweet in the moment, something captivating that went beyond pure lust. It was almost chaste, almost spiritual.

And he was absolutely sure he' d never experienced such a feeling with any other woman.

Softly, he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue glide along her lower lip and she sighed against him, her body softening and welcoming his caress.

But then, the elevator doors behind them opened loudly and a family of six stepped into his peripheral vision, piercing the moment. Olivia grew still. He managed to pull himself a few inches away. He blinked, trying to bring the universe back into focus only to find that his world had shrunk to this one woman, and he could not seem to see anything but her face. He wanted just to look at her, he wanted to memorize the shape of her lips and the movement of her eyelashes when she blinked.

" That was..."

" That was..." she echoed.

"It definitely was," he smiled.

Her face broke into an echoing grin, and the joy of the moment was almost too much.

Two young children ran past them with the rest of the family following at a distance. " Slow down, " the father warned the children, his words echoing in Olivia' s ears.

Fitz stepped back a little and they both turned to greet the couple and their children as they passed by.

" Good night, Fitz, " she breathed, key in hand, before she changed her mind. " See you tomorrow after lunch? " she said more a statement than a question.

"Um…Make it tomorrow morning at the beach?" He waited and she nodded in response.

She unlocked the door and pushed back against it to keep it from closing. She dropped her gaze. She couldn't...she didn't want to be just a fling...and a long distance relationship was definitely out of the question.

"See you tomorrow, Liv," he half smiled. She wasn't ready yet, he could sense she was a little scared. That was refreshing; she was different from the scores of women who routinely threw themselves at his feet. _It' s okay, I can wait, his eyes told her_ ... after all tomorrow was another day.

 **A/N**

 **You guys continue to** ** _amaze_** **me with your fantastic support for this story!** I'm all fired up now! YES! And in response to those who asked, I will do my best to update once a week. Sometimes it may not be possible though as life gets in the way. _Keep on reviewing_ your feedback keeps the fire burning!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: KerryWashingtonScandalOlitz: Thanks for being my sounding board for this chapter, really appreciate it.

In real life, vacations never last long enough but in this fic, this vacation is _really_ going to last... enjoy!

 **NOTE: 2/14/17: I edited the first scene in this chapter and changed a few details.**

* * *

 **Day three**

This morning, the last thing Fitz wanted to do was talk to Cyrus, but he needed to get this over and done with, so he answered the phone on the fourth ring.

"Fitz...finally! Cyrus sounded pissed off. Fitz had been ignoring his calls.

"Cyrus, what do you want? I told you, I don't need the security detail. I want to remain incognito." He sighed. He'd spotted a blonde yesterday at the pool trailing him, he recognized her at once.

"Fitzy, I'm I'm disappointed in you," Cyrus clicked his tongue in that mocking tone Fitz disliked, " What the hell you doing in a _scummy_ place like the Hyatt?"

Fitz rolled his eyes. He didn't consider himself a snob. The Hyatt Zilara was a good hotel even if it wasn't in the same category as the Manfredi. Fitz smiled to himself, thinking about Olivia and how he'd wound up taking public transportation, namely the hotel shuttle for the first time in his life ( it had been an eye opening experience, by the way).

As fate would have it, he'd been about to flag down a taxi when he spotted Olivia, the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen heading toward the hotel shuttle, nearly tumbling. Right then and there, he'd rushed to help and well, and the rest was history.

"Next time you don' t wanna be found, try motel 6 or the Brazilian rain-forest," Cyrus scoffed. "Oh...and don't use your credit cards."

As it was, Cyrus' s mocking tone came through loud and clear. Fitz shook his head. Yes, he' d used his credit card, it was more convenient than carrying a wallet full of bills. In the past, his personal assistants handled such details and this was his first time traveling completely on his own. The bottom line was that he wanted to see first hand how the other half of the world lives.

" Gotta go," Fitz murmured impatiently, this conversation was going nowhere and Olivia was meeting him at the beach in less than 10 minutes.

"Oh...Fitz, and the woman you're dating-" Cyrus paused delivering a condescending sneer **,** the kind of tone one might use on a ingenuous child

 _Olivia?_ Of course, background checks were automatically in order for everyone he'd ever met, it seemed.

"She' s clean, except for a few parking tickets...oh, and a domestic violence call a couple of years ago, other than that-"

* * *

 **Later**

The beach was packed with sunbathers, families of tourists had set up camp with umbrellas and coolers; white sand stretching for miles, rolling waves hitting the shore broken and rough.

Olivia made her way to the beach and looked out into the horizon, shading her eyes with her left hand while holding down her wide brimmed hat with her free hand. There for four or five young men under twenty- five and in white uniforms walking to and fro, providing butler service to about 20 cabanas along the beach.

"Olivia!" She heard Fitz calling from a cabana just a couple of feet away from where she stood.

"Fitz," she approached him, smiling. He looked awesome: tousled hair, shirtless and sporting a pair of Ray Bans."Oh, wow, this is great," she surveyed inside the cabana which kept the sun out and privacy in. She noted two surfing boards upright in a corner and sat down on a lounger. Pulling out a towel out of her beach bag, she laid it out on the sand in front of her.

"What a gorgeous day," she said and he nodded in agreement. Her gaze shifted back to the surfing boards, "So you're into surfing? I should have known..." she couldn't resist shooting him a little wink, "a true Californian..."

"You got it," he winked back, opening the cooler next to his chair and offering her a soda. "Coke, Sprite?"

"Coke please, " she said with a smirk, "So here you are...a Californian on the beach with a cooler."

"Yep, it doesn't get any better than that," he handed her the Coke can, "Yesterday while you were at the Spa I went and got myself a cooler...hmm, yeah, by the way, do they have coolers up there in the North Pole?" He ventured, not wanting to pass up the opportunity with this joke, knowing that the novelty would soon wear off and she would tire of him making references to the biting cold weather of her home state of Michigan.

She smiled at that and took a sip, "believe it or not, we have summers too..."

"But no ocean in sight."

"True," she adopted a far-away look, searching her memories. "The first time I saw the ocean I stood there at the water's edge for nearly an hour just watching the waves crash at my feet. I was in awe... _it was me against infinity_ ," she went on looking out into the ocean, "I was nearly thirteen. It was my first vacation ever, it took my dad three days to drive from Ann Arbor to Pensacola."

"I can only imagine," he replied thinking that taking such a trip by car was something he would never do, not even in his wildest dreams. Quickly shifting gears, he continued, " I take it you've never been surfing, have you?" It was more a statement than a question.

Olivia bit her lip, blushing a little under his intense gaze. "I guess not."

"I can teach you.."

Olivia hesitated.

"I would love riding the waves with you," he added, his words laced with unmistakable innuendo. "I will push you to your limits and bring you back safely too earth, smiling and wanting to ride again...it will be fun."

Her blushed deepened and she looked away. "What about our stuff...we just leave it here?" She wondered thinking of her passport, money and driver's license.

Fitz's expression grew more serious, casting a glance at the the concession stand servers, "See that guy over there?" He waited for Olivia to nod. "He's our butler for the day...he'll be watching our stuff, he's completely at our service for the rest of the day."

"You hired butler service?" Olivia's eyes widened. She didn't even want to think about how much money that kind of service would cost.

"It's really not that expensive..." he murmured getting himself a Sprite from the cooler, not wanting to elaborate any further . "We only live once. " Fitz turned behind him and flicked his fingers and a young man in uniform, dashed toward their cabana faster than lightening, pen and notepad in hand.

"Yes, sir," the young man spoke rather nervously in heavily accented English, "at your service."

" _Amigo_ ," Fitz stood up and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Olivia this is my _amigo_..." Fitz trailed off.

"Jose," the young man said smiling sheepishly. "I'm Jose."

"Jose...Yes," Fitz smiled. "He's gonna take care of us today, don't worry about a thing. I met him yesterday, he's pretty reliable."

"Nice to meet you, Jose," Olivia gave Jose a friendly smile.

"At your service," Jose reiterated before retiring with a courteous nod.

"Jose, thanks for watching our stuff. Oh, and thanks for the surfing boards," he said his gaze dropping to the surfing boards in a corner of the cabana.

Jose nodded and discretely sauntered back to his post at the concession stand.

"Before we go, I'd like to spend a few minutes just relaxing," Olivia said nursing her drink.

Fitz nodded slightly before downing the rest of his Sprite.

"Nice watch," she said, cocking her head, a hint of a question in her tone. She'd noticed the watch before (it certainly looked like a Rolex) but now was she getting a better look at it, and was curious; yet she was determined to keep an open mind and not judge him as a person by his material possessions.

Fitz gave her a half smile, "It was a gift...from a watchmaker, a friend of mine." He said making fleeting eye contact. Now this wasn't a complete lie, he was good friends with his watchmaker. As a matter of fact, watchmaking, repairing and assembling watches was one of his hobbies so he frequently met with his most trusted watchmaker and swapped watches. Sometimes the older man designed special watches for Fitz, many of which he ended up giving away as gifts. This particular _Submariner_ had been trade in deal between him and his watchmaker, very much like one would trade in a vehicle for another make and model. His collection of watches probably reached over 200 and he had selected the _Submariner_ for this trip because it was his favorite.

Olivia nodded, her own relationship with watches was sketchy at best since she had long since stopped wearing watches, believing them to be hopelessly out of style and besides, she already had a clock on her cell phone. As it followed, listening to Fitz talk about watches and watchmakers was a novelty.

"We're gonna start to bake," she noted when the sun shifted, exposing her arms and legs to the heat.

She stood up and stretched, giving him a side view of her gorgeous body and he thought, _man, she really does look quite sexy in that bikini._ "Liv, can I just say you have a fantastic ass?" Somehow his tone was both respectful and playful.

Olivia smiled, taking the complement easily; life was too short for hang-ups and lapses of confidence. Her smile didn't light up her face suddenly; rather it hesitated for a moment about her lips, and then traveled to those great shining eyes of hers and there it lingered, beckoning him, and he smiled back partly sheepishly, partly mischievously, so utterly lost in the moment.

"C'mon, lover," she called, reaching for her bag and then waving a bottle of suntan lotion," rub some of this on my back, please." She didn't know why, but it seemed like Fitz brought out the frisky side in her, something about him. Oh, well, she wasn't about to over analyze it, was she? The only thing she knew for certain was that _she loved who she was with him._

Fitz came around to her side in a flash, loving the fact that this sexy woman was inviting him to put his hands all over her. He straddled her lounge chair and poured some of the coconut scented liquid onto her sexy back in a circular motion making sure it absorbed well into her caramel complexion.

"Oh, lovely..." she sighed, "When you rub my back like that I feel like I'm in heaven..."

"I like this stuff," he whispered in her ear, "It makes you smell as sweet as you are."

Olivia felt the warmth of his breath tingling her earlobes, it started a chain reaction of goose bumps against her body. "I love it, perfect," the pressure was just right, light feathered, absolutely divine, enjoying the movement of his hands on her back, neck and arms. She was glad she' d tied up her hair into a tight bun as it allowed him free access to the nape of her neck. His hands came down her thighs, lingering for a minute or so over her tattoo before he needed to pour more lotion into his hands and she leaned into him in response. Noticing that her breathing pattern had changed, he went back to massage her upper back and played with the strings of her bikini top.

Olivia forgot to breathe.

Making sure no one was watching, he allowed himself greater liberties; slowly but surely and encouraged by her non verbal responses, his fingers slid under her bikini top and fondled her breast against the fabric. She gasped and later moaned when he rolled her nub with just a touch. He tweaked it once more before letting go. Oh, yes, she would be good in bed, he realized with devilish satisfaction. As if she' d been reading his mind, she turned , catching the look on his face right at that moment.

Olivia pulled back a little before all rational thought went out the window, after all they were at a public beach in the middle of the day. "Let's get some of this on you, we wouldn't want you to get sunburned," she said pulling out of her bag a bottle of unscented Sunscreen SPF 60. "Less of a girlie scent?"

Fitz winked at her in approval before moving back to his own lounger and lying on his back. "Tell you what, I'll let you do ALL of me...front AND back, " he grinned with devilish charm, "you'll enjoy that!"

his grin was too infectious. "Okay, here we go," she murmured sailing through his innuendo and sitting on the edge of the lounger, pouring some lotion on his chest and spreading it with her soft hand. She did feel a little self-conscious at first but she thoroughly enjoyed the thrill it gave her to run her hands over his muscular body.

Fitz grunted contentedly, his eyes closed, as her hands explored his body. In lusty pleasure, he imagined the feel of her skin against the palms of his own hands while they made love.

"Flip side," she murmured and he sat up giving her access to his back, knowing that she'd been expecting him to lie flat on his back. He closed his eyes, grinning. The light sensual massage she was giving him was heavenly. No other woman had touched him like this before.

After a long while, he turned his body facing hers. Their eyes locked and he wanted to claim her until she writhed in ecstasy and shouting his name to the four winds.

Still looking deeply into each other's eyes, he put his hand behind her head and drew it toward his face. He then nuzzled up to the side of her exposed neck, not tasting, just teasing. She sighed.

"Liv," he murmured, right before kissing her long and deep.

Right then, they got rudely interrupted by a group of young children running in the sand in their direction. As if waking from a trance, she scurried back to her own lounger.

She finished off her coke and then moved to check out the surfing boards.

He looked out into the ocean. "Waves look good. Are you ready for your first surfing lesson?"

"Sure."

"You're not taking off your watch?"

"It's a surfing watch," he smirked.

A few minutes later

"I love surfing...it allows me to experience the power of nature through the energy and speed of the wave. It allows me to relax and forget everything but the present moment. All thoughts of the future and the past don't matter all that matter is the here and now."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but surfing requires water, does it not?" Olivia asked standing tall next to him holding onto her surfboard while Fitz set his board flat in the sand.

"Yes, but we should practice the movements in the sand first," he quipped and then spent the next five minutes demonstrating on the board how to paddle and stand up, giving instructions in his surfer jargon.

"This is the hardest part, " he explained referring to standing on the board, "one you can do this, the rest is easy. Okay, now it's your turn to practice."

Slowly, Olivia took her place on the board, lying down. She moved her arms mimicking movement in the water. Then, she slid her foot forward and stood up, arms out in the correct position.

She peered at Fitz, "Did I do it right?"

"Perfect, let's just practice it a few more times and then we'll go in the water."

Olivia continued to practice the maneuver for the next few minutes until Fitz finally stated that she's now ready to practice surfing in the water.

Olivia stood and peered out into the vastness of the ocean and felt the same sense of awe she' d felt on her first trip to the beach when she was young. Still, the prospect of actually getting out in the water and standing on a surf board seemed a bit more daunting than she had anticipated. Even though They were only one to two-foot waves ; they certainly seemed much larger, they beckoned her as if readying themselves for her.

"You're gonna do just fine," he said as though he had been reading her mind, gliding over to stand next to her, really close. "Do you trust me, Olivia?"

Olivia's mind pondered the question while her heart screamed a loud 'YES'. She met his gaze and nodded.

"Okay, good. Remember," he went on while leading her into the water, " you'll probably fall off a lot since this is your first time."

"Well, that's comforting," she said with a touch of sarcasm.

"Would you like to just paddle on the board with me for a while?" He asked sensing her fear.

"Yes!" Olivia said feeling relieved, dragging herself rather awkwardly on the board. Nonetheless, she was able to balance herself enough to sit on the board and Fitz quickly slid on behind her.

Just practice paddling," she heard him say, his breath tickling her ear. She realized from the heat radiating through his body that he was so close behind her that his chest almost pressed against her back. Her heart thundered in her chest.

"Okay," Olivia murmured paddle-ling forward rather poorly.

Fitz promptly stopped her. "Like this," he showed her how to move her hands. Then, he pressed his hand onto her lower back, gently encouraging her to press her pelvis onto the board.

Fitz slid off the board and encouraged her to try to stand.

The first time she tried, she couldn't even slide her foot forward. After giving her a few pointers, Olivia tried again and fell off the board backwards.

By the fifth or sixth time, Olivia was actually able to stand. She peered at Fitz, excited. And he held her gaze, smiling proudly. Wh-the _WHOA! I'm a surfing Diva! Whoo-hoo_! Next thing she knew, Olivia's foot slipped throwing her off the board, making her tumble into the ocean. Fortunately, the water cushioned the fall.

She popped up, still conscious, no broken bones, spinal cord still one.

 _A freaking miracle!_

"Hey, you're actually getting the hang of this," Fitz encouraged her. She had stood up too straight, a common mistake of beginners, he thought. "just remember this: first, keep your eyes on the board, second, keep your weight low and balanced and third, don't let go of the damn board until your feet are in position. Three things, can you remember three things?"

Of course ! Three things, how hard could that be? She sighed and got back on the board. "I'm not the worst surfing student ever, am I?"

"Of course not, Fitz chuckled, " I swear! And even though I'm not an official surfing instructor, my vote still counts!"

More attempts and more wipe-outs. And then, suddenly by some conversion of wave, body and board, it happened. At Fitz's command, Olivia rose up with her feet in the right position, wobbling and arms flailing for balance, eyes on the shore ; suddenly Olivia and the board became one, riding the surf as though she'd been doing it all her life. She made it to the shore and hopped off triumphantly.

For another hour and a half, they rode the waves, completely focused on the activity and one another. There were more spectacular wipe-outs for Olivia and another amazing ride through the waves.

"I'm beat," she said.

"You did great," he replied and then gave her a demonstration of his surfing skills doing all kinds of tricks with the waves.

Olivia watched him, enthralled. Never again would she ever underestimate how much effort and skill went into the sport.

"Now what?" She quipped after a while, part of her felt she could watch him surf forever and never get tired.

"We get some lunch," that's what," he suggested, "I hope you worked up an appetite. "

"You bet, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"

They shared a chuckle; her words were like sudden refreshing raindrops at the end of a hot summer day, and in the same way, they were both looking forward to sharing a meal and spending the rest of day together. To be sure, Olivia had enjoyed herself to the fullest and Fitz was left with the lasting impression that even though he'd known her for only three days, the world seemed so much brighter today by her side than ever before. No doubt, this was turning out to be the best vacation of his life.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: _Thank you all for your great support! Enjoy!_

This is still day three, mid-afternoon.

 **NOTE: chapter edited on 2/25/2017 and deleted minor details**

* * *

Later, Fitz and Olivia sat at the hotel's main restaurant in their casual beach wear (Olivia was wearing her tunic dress and Fitz a plain t-shirt and swimming trunks), enjoying each other's company over plates of chicken enchiladas.

"I'm thinking of signing up for the Chichen Itza tour for tomorrow morning 9:00 am, the tour takes three hours plus travel time."

Fitz nodded. "Sounds good...if you don't mind me tagging along, that is," he said with a wink.

"Not at all," she winked back while cutting a bite of her cheesy enchiladas with her fork. "The thing is that I haven't decided yet when to get there. " She paused to take a forkful into her mouth and savoring it while Fitz continued working on his plate. "We could drive or take a cab to Merida today and stay at the Hyatt Regency tonight," She went on after pushing her plate aside, even though her meal was absolutely delicious, she'd had her fill." The travel agency will pick in the morning and take us to Chichen Itza for the tour, or we can just take a cab to Merida early in the morning. Merida is a bit of a drive, it's about 100 miles away. What do you think?"

Fitz put his fork and knife on his plate in a resting position to signal he was done. Then, he took the napkin from his lap and wiped his lips. "Sounds like we' ll need to be up and ready to go at 6:00 am if we wait till morning to get there."

She switched seats and sat beside him so she could show him the brochures she picked up from the travel agency.

Fitz took a look at the brochures and then his gaze shifted to meet hers in a state of wonder. She was asking his opinion, they were making plans and decisions together as though they'd been dating for a while, as if they were already a couple. Crazy, he knew but their connection was already so strong, he was sure she felt the same way even though he had yet to hear the actual words coming from her lips.

Something inside Olivia raged with desire and excitement as he reached across the table to hold her free hand. Willingly placing her hand in his, she stared into his eyes, the brochure long forgotten. The sounds of the restaurant faded and the world narrowed down to just the two of them.

"Fitz-" It took her a moment to find her voice to continue, "We could also re-schedule the tour for the day after tomorrow... although it will be more crowded on Saturday, that' s for sure." She reached for her Margarita, an excuse to pull her hand away from under his and slow down her heart rate back to normal.

"Hmm.." he turned to stare at her lips, her damn kissable lips. "Liv, what do you want to do?" he said with a sexy drawl that came to him naturally like breathing.

"Me?" She voiced, taking a tiny sip of her margarita. "I think that driving up to Merida and staying in a hotel nearby would save us time."

"You wanna know what I think?" He paused long enough to string out the intrigue. "I think we should drive up there and book one room instead of two..." He paused again and watched her eyes widened at his audaciousness, " we still need to be up early ...and we can be each other's alarm clocks... "I mean, seriously...if you're anything like me, I typically hit the snooze button a few times before dragging my feet outta bed. Personally, I can't think of a better way to wake up...can you? "

Olivia shifted in her seat, trying to ease the building pressure between her suddenly damp thighs at the mere suggestion of them sharing a room…perhaps a bed? Still, she looked straight into his amused eyes, doing her best not to drown in the them, desperately searching her mind for a witty retort. "I don't know about that... sharing a room may not be all that's cracked up to be...you'll be lucky to get any sleep at all, mister," she teased back. "I' m a night owl, " she added with a soft smile.

His blue eyes glittered wickedly and she flashed him a slow smile laced with mischief, He cocked his head, intrigued. "Careful, sweetheart... are you trying to scare me away?"

"You' re still here, so obviously, it's not working."

"That's cos' you and I are so alike."

She raised a brow, _really?_

"In fact, we're so alike, I don't see how we could ever get along."

"Why?"

"Because we'd never have anything significant to argue about...so we would be forced to argue about petty things such as whose turn is it to water the plants. And then, I would always win."

She shook her head in disbelief. "No you wouldn't."

"Yes, I would," he insisted.

"NO."

"You see, we're arguing right now and you started it. "

Olivia clicked her tongue, enjoying the give and take, "no, I didn't. You did."

"If you keep acting like this, I will have to break up with you," he said suppressing a smile.

She shrugged, "whatever," and took another sip of her Margarita. Then, she put her arm across her forehead and said in a dramatic fashion, "oh, no, please don't leave me!"

"Ok, darling, don't despair," he grinned widely, "I would always come back for good make-up sex."

She nearly choked on her drink. Darn it, she should have anticipated that. As if on cue, her cell phone rang at that moment, saving her from having to come up with a witty remark.

"I'm sorry, I need to take this." Fitz nodded. She stared at him for a second longer than necessary. "You're such a bad boy," she mouthed voicelessly while putting the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

He mouthed his answer with a self-satisfied wink, "I know."

"Adam? Honey, I can't hear you. What is it? Wait, I can't hear you..." Olivia peered at Fitz, "I'll be right back," she said with an apologetic gesture. At once, her legs carried her over to the patio, hoping she might get better reception outdoors.

"Mom? ah, there you are" Olivia smiled, relieved that their connection was not lost. "Is everything okay?" She asked. Normally her mother waits for her call everyday so it's unusual for her to be the one calling.

"Yes, Livvie, everything is okay," her mother replied reassuringly, "It's just that Adam wanted to talk to you. The truth is that he's been a little upset. His father was supposed to pick him up last night but he never showed, he never returned my calls or anything. "

"And he never called?" _Wow, this was a new low even for Derek._ The custody and visitation agreement between Olivia and her ex-husband Derek stipulated that their son spend every Wednesday at his father's for his weekly overnight stay. "That's weird. Normally he calls before he cancels to say he's not coming." Olivia's heart ached for her poor baby every time his father broke his heart promising him the moon and stars only to let him down later.

"Listen, honey, before you talk to Adam...the school called. They need an updated record of his vaccines. They left a message saying it was urgent."

"Oh, okay," Olivia replied and went on to tell her mother where to find the vaccine records.

* * *

When Olivia came back to their table, Fitz's plate had been cleared and hers was still there waiting for her. Fitz looked up from his phone the minute she walked in.

"Liv. I didn't know for sure whether you were done with your meal," he said having decided to err on the side of caution.

Olivia eased down into her seat. "Sorry about that, I can't eat another bite."

"Everything okay? Your phone call?"

"Yes, I got a better signal outside. It was just my mother calling. Nothing important, really," she said preoccupied. She was still upset over Derek letting their son down, it was particularly troublesome since she wasn't there to take Adam into her arms and comfort him.

Fitz studied her for a few moments thinking that there was something she was not telling him; something about this guy Adam. Who the hell was he? An old boyfriend, a friend with benefits? What role did this Adam play in her life? _Whatever_ was going on, he was going to find out.

"Fitz, I'm sorry. I think I'm gonna go to my room for a little while, I got a headache." She stood up and almost turned on her heel, except that the waiter showed up right then to pick up their plates. She turned to the waiter and asked for her bill and he froze in place, tray in hand.

For the first time ever, Fitz appeared momentarily uncertain as he faced Olivia. Ever since his arrival, Fitz had set up a running tab for all of his expenses which he'd figured would save him time and trouble. After a moment, he nodded to the waiter indicating that everything was okay as a cue for him to leave and then he turned to Olivia.

""I already took care of it, I invited so I pay." He said nonchalantly thinking that her insistence on picking up the check could translate into a discussion about finances (which he certainly wanted to avoid) or it could also bean that he'd just been friend-zoned... just like that. Neither outcome was good.

Olivia furrowed her brow and thought about it for a moment. "Okay, but next time I'll keep a running tab on my half of the bill," she stated decidedly. In truth, she'd rather pay in cash, it made it easier to stick to her budget. But on the other hand, she couldn't let him get away with picking up the tab every single time, could she? And something told her he would try to do just that if she would let him. Except that next time she was planning on being two steps ahead.

* * *

Later

Clad in an ivory and navy blue tie-dye shift dress, Olivia went downstairs in search of Fitz. It was already past 5 in the afternoon and the woman at the travel agency had told her that if they wanted to book the tour for tomorrow, Fitz needed to make his reservation before 6:00 pm. Also, they still hadn't decided whether they were driving up to Merida tonight (and possibly getting a rental car or taking a taxi) or staying at the Hyatt Zilara until morning.

First, she went down to the pool and then headed for the beach. She even found Jose the waiter but no sign of Fitz. At last, she found him in the 24 hour lounge playing ping pong with another guy about his same age. Olivia stood there a while watching Fitz, thinking he looked quite handsome clad in a light denim shirt and khaki pants. He was certainly the kind of man that looked confident in who he was no matter what he wore, no matter what he did. Indeed, his relaxed confidence has been contagious from the moment they met.

And much to her chagrin, she found him so darn sexy, far too sexy for her peace of mind.

Fitz bridged the distance between them as soon as he spotted her. "hey, I was about to call you, " he said softly, leaning closer, tucking a strand of curls behind her ears. " He'd missed her even though it had only been a couple of hours since their meal together. "Are you feeling better?"

She smiled softly, loving the intimate gesture, plus she'd really missed the sound of his voice. "Headache is gone."

Right then, the guy Fitz had been hanging out with cleared his throat reminding them he was there and when they turned to glance in his direction, he nodded in acknowledgement. Fitz made the necessary introductions.

"Nice to meet you, Bobby."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Olivia."

Fitz turned his attention back to Olivia. "We need to talk, Can you wait five minutes?"

"Sure, I'm gonna be over there," she pointed to the salad bar on the other side of her room.

…

With a little swagger, she sauntered over to the self-serve salad bar and helped herself to a bowl of cantaloupe and green grapes. Fitz resumed his game of ping pong, casting sidelong glances in her direction; following her movements with great pleasure, knowing where she was at any given moment even as he tried to concentrate on the game. At one point he caught sight of her popping a succulent grape into her mouth, and he found himself noting the movement of her sexy lips, the lips he'd been missing since their last kiss.

"Keep your eyes on the ball, baby!" she called from afar, amused.

Fitz complied but then shortly thereafter his eyes darted back to meet hers for the briefest of moments becoming a willing prisoner to her magnetic beauty, even if it meant missing the ball and losing the game.

"Woohoo! His opponent chanted, "60 to 40!"

"I got distracted. Next time, buddy," Fitz gave his new friend a pat in the back.

After bidding farewell to Bobby, Fitz found Olivia around a corner, sitting in front of the TV, her eyes resting unseeing on the TV screen and behaving as if she were watching the Home Shopping Network.

Although she smiled at him weakly, Fitz noticed at once she was in deep thought. Giving her a moment to switch gears, he slid beside her on the leather sofa, their thighs touching.

"A penny for your thoughts **."**

His proximity made her stomach flutter so she retreated back a little sinking into the cushions, suddenly afraid of opening up to him and becoming vulnerable.

He clicked his tongue, "Something about your phone call from earlier?"

"Maybe I'm not ready to share, maybe you'd be better off not knowing."

"I can handle it, whatever it is," he reassured her. "I want to get to know you, all of you."

" Why?"

"Why, " he repeated. " Well, for starters, " you're beautiful, smart and a little mysterious, always an intriguing combination."

"So I' m mysterious?" She smiled, relaxing a little.

"I believe there's all kinds of interesting thoughts going on inside that lovely head of yours."

" What if it turns out empty? " she chuckled.

"Not a chance."

They shared a smile.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Yes, she needed to tell him about Adam. She should have told him when they first met and discussed their exes. But for some reason she didn't. Maybe it felt good to pretend being childless and carefree. There was no crime in that, right? After all, she was on a much needed vacation, a rest from the grind of every day life. But then again, the more time passed, the harder it became to bring it up in conversation.

It was now or never.

"Well, for starters...I have a son. He's four, he's everything to me." She watched Fitz's face for any sign of disappointment at the news but it never came. As a result, she felt as though he knew her already and that nothing she says truly surprises him.

He slightly cocked an eyebrow at her and shrugged a little.

"And his name is Adam?" It was more a statement than a question.

Olivia nodded acknowledging the fact that he'd overheard her mention Adam when her mother had called.

Fitz patiently waited thinking she would add more to the story.

"So that's it ? That's the big secret that would cause me to _not_ want you?"

"Single men are not necessarily looking for family commitments...am I wrong?" She challenged him.

"Depends... there are many men out there, myself included that would not let something like that get in the way of getting to know you..." He paused for emphasis, "Maybe you've been meeting the wrong kind of men?"

"Maybe," she mumbled so quietly that he had to lean in closer to hear her.

"Liv, I care about you, " Fitz murmured looking into her eyes in that special way of his that made her weak in the knees.

Olivia's eyes widened, the beating of her heart drumming in her ears. She felt scared and vulnerable even, her more vulnerable than she'd ever been. "You've only known me for three days," she said in a last ditch effort to put a barrier between them because what she feared the most in this life was caring too much and becoming vulnerable."

"And?"

"I don't know...it just seems like a little too soon to have any real feelings for me. We don't really know each other." Remarkably, her fear was rooted in this strange attraction she felt toward him; this attraction that held the emotional power to make her crave him with great intensity, beyond reason, and unlike anything she'd ever known.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," he said confidently.

"Oh, really? Then how come you've been so dodgy when I asked you what you did for a living?"

"Dodgy? How was I dodgy?"

Olivia cleared her throat and did her best impression of Fitz, "I work in uh...security."

Fitz pinched the bridge of his nose and then closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath and made eye contact with Olivia. "Ok, here's my story. I work in a family owned business that my father built out of practically nothing. You know the saying, family and business don't mix?" He paused waiting for her to nod, "well, so now I'm in between careers... I'm looking into starting my own business apart from my family." he said sincerely. Every word of what he'd just said was true. He gazed at her waiting for her reaction.

His gaze was so intense that she felt time standing still, the tick and tocks of time in synchrony with her heart. Something in the way he spoke was so transparent and sincere that it made her toss her fears out the window along with any hang-ups that remained.

His gaze lowered to her lip. With hooded eyes, he lifted his hand to trace the lower edge of her bottom lip with his thumb before his gaze lifted up to meet hers again. His head bowed, his lips set to hers, soft and searching at first, then gentle and giving as his arms slipped around her in a tight embrace. The pounding of their hearts joined in a thunderous awakening, and he deepened the kiss.

And then, right at that moment, they were rudely awoken from their amorous reverie by the sounds of a group of people approaching and the fleeting movement of young children.

Most reluctantly, he broke their kiss. All he wanted now was to take her away from this place and thus, in one fluid moment, he rose to his feet and offered her his hand. Without breaking eye contact, she clasped her hand in his and they both wordlessly sauntered to the elevator. She mildly wondered where he was taking her but then again, not really caring where as long as they were together; she'd never felt this light and carefree in her entire life.

At the elevators, a man held the doors open for them using a Chaplin style cane.

"Thanks," they said in unison.

"Which floor?" A female voice asked in American English.

They both spoke at the same time.

Lobby, Fitz said.

3rd floor, Olivia said.

Still holding hands and with their backs against the elevator wall, they stared into each other's eyes, their bodies naturally gravitating towards one another.

"Where are we going?" She smirked.

"We're on our way to book a tour to the pyramids," Fitz smirked back.

 _Oh, yeah. The pyramids. She'd nearly forgotten about that._

"What a coincidence, so are we," Chaplin remarked glancing over at the woman beside him, signifying that they were a couple. "As a matter of fact we're heading over there right now. "We're from New York, how about you?"

"Los Angeles."

" I'm from Michigan, born and raised," Olivia replied proudly just as the elevator reached the lobby, looking at Fitz, "home to the best Salami Sandwiches."

Once they stepped off the elevator, the four of them headed for the lobby. Fitz and Olivia were still holding hands, but then, suddenly Olivia stopped moving as if remembering something. "Fitz, wait."

Realizing that Olivia needed to talk to him, Fitz called out to the couple, "We'll see you guys later."

The couple nodded, smiling and then they were gone with a little wave of the hand.

"Ok. What is it?"

" I'm going back to my room to get something, "She paused as a little flirty smile played about her lips. His face softened and stepped closer until their bodies were nearly touching. Then, he let go of her hand and lightly placed his hand on her hip. She held her breath as lips roamed around her ear and instinct almost sent her back a step; his manliness seemed to swallow all the space near her. "Actually," she hesitated just a bit—"just come up to see me when you're done...okay?"

"Okay," he smirked back watching her make her way back to the elevator, looking forward to their get- together and whatever the future had in store for them.

"Don't keep me waiting too long," she called as the elevator doors were closing.

 **A/N:**

The 24 hour lounge was located on the second floor.

I know I'm a meanie for stopping here, but I'll be back soon :)

Please review. Have a great week


	6. Chapter 6

When Fitz arrived at Olivia's door twenty minutes later, he found the door held open by a housekeeping cart. How odd, he thought, it was rather late in the day for housekeeping to be making their rounds.

He peeked in, "Olivia?"

She caught his eye, " they're transferring me into another room. Plumbing problems, sink not draining." She spoke as she continued packing items into her travel bags.

Fitz stepped inside as two women walked out of the bathroom past him speaking in rapid fire Spanish. Even though he was fluent in the language, he still couldn't make out what they were saying.

Olivia held up a key-card and said with a little roll of the eyes, " my temporary room while they get another room ready for me."

Fitz shook his head and said with the tiniest of smiles, " just stay in my room until they get yours ready."

She readily agreed, gathering her belongings at once, she didn't want to bother settling in another room only to be packing her stuff again five minutes later.

On their way out the door, Fitz addressed the housekeeping staff, " _la senorita Pope va a estar esperando conmigo en la habitacion 390_. (Ms. Pope will be waiting in room 390.)"

" Si, senor," both women replied in unison.

Fitz turned to Olivia and gallantly offered to carry her bag, " what a gentleman, " she remarked light-heartedly as they linked arms, "my savior." He continued walking, smiling to himself, thinking how easy it was to fall into this lighthearted banter with her, making him feel that whatever happened between them was always wonderfully spontaneous and uninhibited.

"Well, here you are, safe and sound," Fitz chuckled as ushered her inside with a wave of the hand. "Mi casa es su casa (my house is your house)."

"Does that mean I also get a key-card too?" She smirked," just kidding," catching his eye as she stepped over the threshold.

The presidential suite, furnished with rich wood and peaceful color tones which brought on feelings of relaxation, was at least double in square footage in comparison to her suite . There was a master room, extra lounge room and a junior suite and a whirlpool tub overlooking the wide ocean blue. Olivia sniffed the saltiness in the air coming through the wide wrap around windows which offered a breathtaking ocean view and a wide stretch of sand.

"Help yourself to whatever you find in the fridge but I call the shots when it comes to the remote control," he said rounding the corner to the master bedroom. She followed him with an amused expression. "I mean it," he smirked setting her bags her bags on top of the dresser in the master bedroom. He turned his head to look at her, "You can mess up anything you want, anything you need, just holler."

Her gaze shifted to the king size bed. It's luxurious comforter looked warm and inviting but even so, it could never compare to the warmth of his body next to hers. And then she smiled to herself thinking of all the times she'd fantasized about them being alone together like this. Her fantasies all varied from wild to tame and everything in between and it was always her room _never his._

With a start she peered at him for a long second realizing that he'd been watching her and she felt a warmth to her cheeks, her own amused expression fading. In his eyes, she saw unrestrained longing there and he wasn't making any attempts to temper it. She swallowed, but didn't break her gaze away from his. They stared at each other. Him wanting her, her aware of that fact.

"Can I have a minute?" She stammered suddenly aware that her bladder was about to explode. Great timing. But heck, if it weren't for the plumbing problem they'd be in _her room_ right now.

He smiled before retreating to the lounge room, "if there's anything you need," he reiterated indicating that he would be in there waiting for her. "Don't take long, I have something to show you." She nodded in understanding and headed for the bathroom.

After washing her face and reapplying a fresh coat of lipstick, she beelined for the lounge/living room which was handsomely decorated with an oversized flat screen television, a desk and a sectional sofa. Fitz was sitting on the sofa with eyes glued on his laptop until she entered his peripheral vision. Wordlessly, he patted the cushion next to him. " C'mere, " But before she had a chance to sit, they heard movement coming through the 'magic box' on the wall opposite the sofa, which allowed room service to deliver anything without knocking on the door. A mango flavored margarita and a glass of scotch magically appeared.

"I'll get it," Olivia readily retrieved the drinks and handed Fitz his Scotch before sitting next to him.

Fitz took a sip and then set down his glass on the floor beside him. Then, he turned the screen for her to take a look at the website he' d been navigating.

"You know how you were saying I was a little dodgy?" He said with a boyish smile edging closer to her.

" Yeah?" She smirked back.

"Have you heard of Allstate auto insurance? "

"I can't say I have."

Allstate was founded in 1931 by Sears, Roebuck and Company and have offices in both Southern and Northern California. Their subdivision, Allstate Security services, provide services armed or unarmed to commercial properties, residential properties, healthcare facilities. In addition, Allstate also provide services executive protection to celebrities, heads of state and corporate executives."

She took a sip and peered at him over the rim of her glass.

"I handle the logistics. I don't usually meet directly with clients, my assistants do. I pretty much orchestrate the operation by hiring the necessary subcontractors and overseeing security operations. I put myself in the mind of the attacker. What would he do? How could he do it? Try to orchestrate attack myself and find points of weakness that a hacker could exploit. What is he looking for? How is he going to find it?

Olivia latched on to the word, _weaknesses._ She peered at him, alert, engaged, intellectually curious. "Are you talking about computer weaknesses or human weaknesses?"

"Both."

"How?"

"Human weaknesses are the hardest to unravel. It's what makes us humans let down our guard, trust people we shouldn't trust."

"So that's your area of expertise, then dealing with issues of trust and human weaknesses?" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So you must be a pretty good judge of character, " she paused, taking another sip of her Margarita, hesitating a little, testing the waters, "What about me? Am I a trustworthy person?"

He smiled softly. "Yes." He' d known she was trustworthy from the get- go Looking back, he' d had the feeling that there was something she was holding back. But then, she'd told him about her son. "I can see it in your eyes. I believe you are 100% trustworthy."

"Good, glad to hear." She said studying him closely, her mind busily trying to get a complete picture of Fitzgerald Grant. And to think that when he'd said something about working in security, she had immediately assumed he worked as a security guard somewhere. "Are you really on vacation…or working remotely, effectively killing two birds with one stone?"

Fitz half smiled. "I'm only handling a handful of high profile cases right now as we speak. And yes, I left California thinking to take some time off. Sadly, high blood pressure does tend to run in my family so I do have to watch what I eat and manage stress levels, " he sighed, pressing his lips together, "everything I eat is prepared low sodium. I specified that the minute I arrived at the hotel. They were very helpful, all I have to do is text them a couple of hours in advance and the kitchen has my meals ready for me."

At once, Olivia recalled the fish tacos they had at the poolside. They were good but they could have used a little more salt, she thought while nursing her drink, "I could get addicted to these," she said jokingly referring to her mango flavored margarita, " and then what am I gonna do when I get back home?"

"Tell you what," he began rather enthusiastically, "This is it for me...once I get back home I will definitely cut back on my alcohol consumption, and make healthier lifestyle changes."

Olivia readily agreed, " we could all make healthier lifestyle changes."

She spoke again after the two had been nursing their drinks for a while.

"Can I ask you something?"

" Shoot."

"Are you a subcontractor for Allstate?"

"No, I'm not."

She considered this for a moment setting her drink aside. "So," she said not wanting to sound like a CIA interrogator, "Was this the family business you were referring to?"

He nodded. "My brother and are shareholders," and then paused not wanting to get into the details about the feud with his brother.

Right then, his laptop made a beeping sound and Fitz started typing numbers. He looked up at her. "It locked me out after a period of inactivity. See this memory stick," she followed his gaze to the stick inserted in his laptop port, "It's an external device, part of a multistage security system, it gives me a new code, a 7 digit number every day to be used as a password. The numbers are dynamic and randomly generated. I memorize a new number every day-" He leaned over a bit so she could see his laptop unlock to show his home screen.

She raised a brow, "every day?"

"Every day, even on national holidays."

"You must have a fantastic memory," she shot him a smile.

Fitz reciprocated her smile before lowering his gaze back to the computer screen. "No matter how good the security system, any computer is hack- able. The new code unlocks my laptop every day. Computers can be stolen, end up seized by law enforcement or whatever. My passwords are dynamic and externally generated," he reiterated, his fingers sliding off the keyboard to finger the memory stick. "This baby is tamper resistant with secure encryption keys and self destruction circuitry."

"Impressive," Olivia said after a moment. "Any internet safety tips?"

He half shrugged. "Don't ever navigate banking sites…or any sites you wouldn't want your mother to know about on your phone. Those incognito tabs that supposedly allow you to surf the net without leaving a trace are simply child's play for the average hacker." He watched her down the rest of her Margarita.

"We only live once."

He smiled at that. "We're booked for tomorrow's tour of the pyramids. I arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 6:30 am. Is that okay with you?"

Olivia thought about it for a moment, "yeah. That should give us enough time to get there."

"You wanna know something funny?" he spoke with a devilish twinkle in his eyes leaning closer.

"What? She smiled, a feeling of warmth spreading through her from head to toe. Something had changed; she sensed that business talk was over and the other Fitz, the one she'd gotten to know in the last few days was back.

"Every day that goes by, no-every second that goes by brings me closer to you…having you here in my room right now is like a dream…if I didn't know any better, I would say that the universe is conspiring to bring us together one way or another…"

Olivia stared at him as if in a trance. _Wonderfully said_ , she thought.

There was a sudden knock on the door that brought them out of their reverie. With the magic box on the wall there was hardly any need for room service to know on their door. Fitz went to get the door with a scowl, unable to hide his annoyance at the interruption.

"Good evening, Mr. Grant, I am your manager Enrique Solis," the man introduced himself. "I understand Ms. Pope is here with you?" He said in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

Fitz opened the door wider, "yes, she's here."

Olivia stood and shook the manager's hand.

"So sorry, Ms. Pope for the plumbing problem in your room. We have now another room available for you," he handed her a key-card, "I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience," he concluded in heavily accented English.

Enrique Solis looked over at Fitz and instead of approval, Fitz gave him a quizzical look, one that clearly said, _is that it?_

The manager cleared his throat, "And of course, we would like you to accept one complimentary visit to our award winning Spa," he peered at Fitz once gain. Fitz gave him a nod and half shrug. "And of course, one complimentary night stay for all the inconvenience…"

After a moment's silence, Olivia thanked the manager and Fitz promptly ushered him to the door. Closing the door behind him, Fitz turned to face Olivia.

She nervously looked around the room, "Well, I guess-" she hesitated, "I' d better go and check out my new room…"

He looked stricken and her pulse picked up; still she turned as if to leave.

"Liv?"

Biting her bottom lip, she turned to face him, her eyes locking with his.

"Stay," he murmured, his deep voice soft with longing, "would you stay with me tonight?"

Olivia could only stare at him, her heart beating wildly out of control. Something about the way he was standing, his long arms hanging loose at his sides, his chest open and exposed made him look so vulnerable and all she wanted was to touch his face and pull him close.

At once, he bridged the distance between them. "Please?" He needed her more than anything.

"ahh...In the spare room?" she tentatively managed.

"No," he shot her mischievously smile that _nearly_ had her smiling back, "I want you in my bed tonight," he murmured breathing in her ear.

Somehow, she managed to step back a little before she lost her resolve, "Fitz, I just gotta say...I don't do one-night stands, hookups or friends with benefits."

He cocked his head and thought about it for a moment, "This… won't be any one of those , Liv… he stared fiercely into her eyes, "I want a relationship with you. I knew it from the minute I first saw you."

The space between them held an air of expectancy as her eyes met his, the easy going tension between them palpable and electric. He leaned in, towering over her; his eyes were bright and hopeful, their future was in his eyes.

"Fitz," she murmured, lifting her chin to meet his kiss. Their lips met tenderly, softly. Her thighs tensed when he took her bottom lip and nibbled, and her neck cocked to the side allowing him to nibble his way down her neck, knowing full well there was no way she would be able to hold back her body and emotions now that her neck was so utterly exposed and vulnerable.

Still kissing her, his hand reached down pulling up the skirt of her dress and then he suddenly stopped which was a bit of a shock. He hadn't so much as touch her and her panties were already soaking wet. "Take off your clothes…" he murmured.

She obeyed without breaking eye contact, tossing her dress aside and swiftly reaching behind her to unfasten her bra, letting it fall down her arms and then down on the floor.

He drew in a breath overcome by her beauty and slipped his hands up her waist to cup her breasts, weighing them, stroking the hard tips until she gasped again. He kissed the line of her shoulder down to her breast and before taking her nipple into his mouth and flicking it, soothing that need that ran through her like wildfire. As his hand moved lower, gliding over her rib-cage and then down her smooth belly, she leaned up and kissed him. She wanted to bring his hand between her legs, yet she didn't want the delicious anticipation to end just yet and he deepened the kiss, bringing her whole body flush against his. The kiss became greedy and he couldn't be sure who was taking and who was giving, all he knew was that this was not one sided, and while he'd been the one to ask her to say, she was most certainly the one who didn't want to leave.

God, his mouth felt so good, she forgot who she was or where she was.

Next thing she knew, she was on her back on the cool sheets of a king sized bed clad in her panties. Fitz had discarded all of his clothing and was looking at her as if he had dreamed of this moment all of his life. Settling on his knees between her legs, he buried his face between her legs and inhaled and shuddered. He became her devilish tormentor when he grazed her jewel through the fabric of her silk underwear and continued relentlessly for what seemed like an eternity. As if oblivious to her struggle, her need to tell him that she needed him inside of her right now, he pulled her panties into a wedgie and silenced her with one lightning sweep of his tongue.

"Ooooh," she moaned, really liking this wedgie that exposed both her back and front like a thong to his marvelous tongue. That tongue was hot, warm and firm and she felt overwhelmed by the spiraling desire, a desire she was sure she'd never felt before, drawing her tighter and tighter inside, making her crazy with want as he continued to pull the fabric of her panties back and forth. "You're killing me," she cried out.

At last he yanked her underwear surprising her, tearing it with a loud noise in one swift motion and she moaned loudly.

 _Oh, yes, oh, yes_ …he was pleasantly surprised to discover that she did get a Brazilian after all.

And then he lapped her, softly then rough.

Oooh, yes, yes," she cried uncontrollably at the delicious pressure of a finger plunging inside her making her feel she was so close to bursting into a million pieces when it found that one place that drove her out of her mind.

 **"** You sexy thing," he breathed. She was magnificent, so bare and smooth, the most erotic sight she'd ever seen.

"Fitz, Fitz...I need you inside!"

He snickered, considering prolonging her torture but then realized he couldn't hold back any longer, _next time_ , he told himself and was quickly inside her. She held his gaze as he began to move and cried his name out loud and dug her fingers onto his back, she'd never felt so filled. She'd would have never predicted they'd find a rhythm so easily and met his thrusts, rolling into him and against him, savoring the heat of his skin and the tightness of his muscles.

The more of him she took in, the more she wanted. Almost immediately she shuddered, her own orgasm hitting her hard in waves. She met each one of his thrusts in ecstasy. Then, all of a sudden, he pulled out so that the head of his manhood was just at the entrance of her tunnel. She protested even while his fingers played with her clit creating a nest of delicious agony. "Please," she begged, "I want you deep inside," she breathed. He continued to flick her clit until he was certain that a new orgasm was starting to build in her body as every nerve seemed to tense and tingle at the same time. Only then did he drive himself deep inside, this time filling her completely. They both cried out as the final inch of him penetrated her, deep against her cervix.

"Your so tight, Liv," he groaned reaching to pin her arms above her head. In this position, he watched her face wildly primal, tight with pleasure's tension and his ache for her intensified. He pulled himself almost all the way out and then thrust back inside her throbbing pussy. This time, she wrapped her legs around his waist, determined not to let him pull out of her again. In response, he grabbed her legs and bent them at the knee to allow himself better access to her sweet nest, their pelvises connecting with each one of his thrusts.

Her moans became high pitched, "Ohh, Fitz, please," she moaned not entirely sure what she was begging him to do.

"Oh, God, you're so tight," he groaned, "you haven't done this many times, have you?" He found her lips and kissed her tightly. The pressure built, the tempo increase, their bodies fighting for release. And then, finally, he felt her walls of her warm and tight tunnel contract, putting pressure on every millimeter of him and she screamed her release; followed by his own earth shattering release. He closed his eyes as his seed spilled into her, and she thrashed her head from side to side, as the heat of his hot cum stretched out her orgasm.

"Wow, that was amazing," she sighed, wide-eyed.

"Absolutely amazing," he agreed kissing the top of her head. "You're amazing, you know that? Amazing, yes...Right now, that's the only word in my vocabulary that makes sense," he chuckled rolling off her but keeping his arm around her, and pulling her back against his front, holding her close. "You know something crazy?" He smirked, searching her eyes, "No other woman has ever aroused me like this."

Olivia bit her lip and smiled softly, what could she say? She was at a loss of words. No other man had ever fucked her like this, ever; no other man had ever possessed her with such passion.

 **A/N:**

I'm excited about this story, very much looking forward to unfolding it for you hoping you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. This next chapter might take me longer to write as I work on the post- vacation plot, so even though when I'm not updating I'm still writing/working behind the scenes.

As always, I love your comments, they keep those creative juices flowing and focused on this story. Thanks and have a great week :)


	7. Taking the plunge part I

Darn it! He'd been so involved in getting inside of her that he'd forgone a condom. He never forgot a condom, he'd never been this careless but then again he'd never been this wrapped up in a woman before.

"Fitz? Where did you go?"

He looked into her brown orbs as they cuddled in bed together. "I'm sorry. I forgot to wear a condom," he murmured, brushing a curly strand away from her face.

She stared at him for a long silent moment. "Oh, don't worry. I'm on the pill. I'm safe." She'd been taking the pill for painful menstrual cramps ever since she was fifteen. "After my divorce, I got myself tested just in case, so I don't have anything, she added, peering into his blue orbs _._ "And I haven't been with anyone except you," she lifted her brows and waited for his response.

"I'm safe too. I always wear a condom."

He loved the feel of her soft limbs around him and the sexy smile she gave him was a clear indication of where her thoughts had strayed. His dick swelled. He moved down to her midsection and started tweaking her nipples at the same time. He was applying enough pressure to make her feel the ying and the yang, the pleasure and the pain as he tweaked one nipple and assaulted the other with his mouth. Olivia felt the first roll of an orgasm coming on when his finger suddenly found the entrance to her tunnel and deliciously lingered there and then plunged deep inside surprising her. Her breathing became faster and heavier; she gripped the sheets and made all kinds of sounds in the midst of her rapture, amazed that she could come this fast.

Rolling on top of him, she kissed him with riveting passion, her libido fully awakened, her face flushed. Fitz was rock hard. And she guided his iron cock into her pussy. He was big, but she was more than wet and adjusted very quickly as she came down on him slowly. At first, it was hard for him to just lie there, but realizing that she needed this, he let her set the pace. She rode him hard, her clit rubbing against his package. Her vaginal muscles flexed with an increased sense of awareness, excited and primitive as if they had a mind of their own. _She'd never dreamed it could feel this good._

Soon he was on the brink of coming, as he felt her tightness all around him but he didn't want it to be over so fast. He moaned and groaned and then everything changed. Grabbing control of her waist, he met her when she came down on his pole. He came up as he shoved her waist down with his hard cock. The sensation made Olivia squirm. He knew how to use his equipment very well; he was going very deep and this only fueled her desire to ride him harder. And she came long and deep, her juices coming down his penis. She looked at him intently and saw his expression of pain (holding his release) combined with pleasure (she was so fucking tight) which turned her on even more. As she continued to ride him at a frantic pace, he moaned and his breathing became harder and faster. He couldn't take this anymore, he was gonna come any minute now. He was about to release when he quickly rolled her off him and placed her on her knees, and got behind her and entered her from behind. He entered her love tunnel slowly and her breath caught in her throat as she felt every inch of him long and hard. Once he was inside he increased the pace and went deeper. She gave him a side glance as he thrust harder, "oh, my God, Fitz," she shrieked, "ooooh my Fitz, I'm coming, I'm coming !"

He couldn't take it any longer but he also wanted the pleasure to go on and on so he quickly switched positions and got her on her back. They were both at the point of joyous exhaustion, Olivia was starting to feel sore but she wanted more. This time he went inside in one deep thrust while she screamed and pulled the sheets. "You feel so good, sweet baby, so tight, so hot," he whispered in her ear. She giggled in delight. He slid his hands beneath her hips and lifted her, sitting on his heels and his legs folded and knees spread apart moving harder and faster. And then he continued to pound into her with such energy, flesh slapping against flesh, drowning her in wave upon wave of orgasms, until he finally allowed himself the release that he craved. The spasms were so intense they racked his entire body. When it was over, he held her in a loving embrace and they both knew right then that they were made for each other.

"That was amazing," she breathed, "absolutely amazing…it was like riding a runaway train."

He smirked at her choice of words, running his thumb along her cheek. "I've never felt more alive," he whispered, "only with you, my sweet baby," he kissed her lips softly.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms falling into peaceful sleep for the next six and a half hours.

 **Day four**

The following morning, Olivia woke up before Fitz bright-eyed and bushy-tailed much like a child on Christmas morning excited for the day ahead. For a few moments, she contemplated his peaceful expression as he slept and then carefully extricated herself from his embrace. It wasn't until she was enjoying a nice steamy shower that she realized that she never went to check out her new room and that they wouldn't have time to do that anyway as they would be late getting to Chichen Itza.

At exactly 6:30, she climbed back in bed clad in a lightweight tank top and a pair of shorts beautifully tailored yet loose enough to wear for when it's really hot and comfortable enough for a day of walking in the sun. She'd thought long and hard about what to wear and decided that since she was wearing her swimsuit underneath, it was going to be too hot and humid to wear anything else.

"Fitz…" she snuggled up to him and nibbled his ear, "time to wake up, sleepy head!"

Fitz groaned. He opened one eye, "You didn't keep me up all night," and then the other and stared at her mischievously, "That's what you said you would do if we slept in the same room, remember?"

She chuckled. "Yeah…I guess I took pity on you…hey, but at least I'm better than an alarm clock, right?"

He chuckled back, "Way better, baby…" he pulled her closer. "Huh…you got dressed."

"Don't sound so disappointed," she quickly replied, "We don't have much time. It's already after 6:30."

Fitz sat up on the bed, "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"I took pity on you…you're cute when you're asleep."

* * *

 **The Tour**

Fitz and Olivia's taxi arrived in the nick of time at the designated point where the tour company would pick them up and take them to the Mayan ruins. Olivia carried a light weight backpack with bottled water, sunscreen, Ibuprofen, some snacks and other essentials.

Their tour guide was a friendly Mexican man in his mid twenties by the name of Arturo. Arturo had the gift of gab and thus he started reciting his historic facts well before they even got to the heart of Chichen Itza. His voice was interesting, clear and enthusiastic much like the voice of a radio announcer. His English was impeccable and he had good sense of humor. He continued making references to how the highlight of the tour were not the pyramids but the sacrificial pits of the Mayas and how they shouldn't worry because most likely at this point there would be no human remains left in the pits.

The group gathered in front of El Castillo, AKA "The Castle" or" The Pyramid of Kukulkan" located in the middle of Chichen Itza.

While Arturo spoke, Olivia stole a glance at Fitz who looked fabulous and sporty clad in a light t-shirt, gray chinos, and a pair of lightweight Nikes. He was also wearing a baseball cap with his thick hair curling up from under the edges of the cap, adding to his boyish look.

"Each of the four stairways has exactly 91 steps, totaling 364, the top platform being number 365, equaling the number of days in the solar calendar. The pyramid has 52 panels in the nine terraces; 52 is the number of years in the Toltec cycle. Each of the nine terraced steps is divided in two: 18 for the months in the yearly Maya calendar."

Arturo continued, "The Mayan calendar was so perfect, it tracked planets like Venus moving through the sky and it predicted eclipses and built this pyramid so that an optical illusion would occur precisely at the Spring and Fall equinoxes. The optical illusion was in the shape of a the feathered serpent which can be seen reflecting off the light of the sun in the north side of the pyramid and which ultimately unites with the large snake sculptures carved at the bottom of the staircase."

Olivia's gaze dropped to the two young children playing around the large snake sculptures while one of the parents tried to snap a couple of pictures. It was getting so hot; she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and tucked it under her wide brim hat. Her gaze naturally followed Fitz's who was studying the Castle in wonder even as Arturo continued to his speech.

"The optical illusion occurring at the time of the equinoxes were believed by the Mayas to be a manifestation of their god, the feathered snake," Arturo continued. "Chichen Itza was both an important city and the ceremonial epicenter of the Mayan civilization. It is believed that the Mayas were conquered in the 10th century by the Toltecs which were fierce warriors. Some do question whether they were truly conquered by the Toltecs since their Mayan language was never replaced by the language of the Toltecs and Aztecs. In any event, the Mayas were masters of mathematics, Astronomy and geometry," Arturo paused to extend his hand out to the pyramid behind him, **"** Built in the 6th century, this pyramid is a MARVEL. I dare you to stand next to it, look up and not feel like you are tiny, like you are a speck in the Cosmic Dance of our Universe."

Almost every one nodded their heads in awe and in complete agreement with the tour guide.

"What happened to the Chichen Itza after the Toltec invasion?" A young man asked.

Arturo shrugged. "This city was abandoned around the year 1200. Something happened to shake this amazing civilization 19 million people to its foundation. I believe there are several theories including a severe drought…although the Mayan people did not completely disappear from the face of the earth. There are still some Mayas residing in the Yucatan Peninsula."

People were starting to get restless under the heat of the sun. Some drank water and some of the children were restlessly playing around the rope at the base of the pyramid. There was a sign nearby that said 'closed'.

A child asked loudly why they were not allowed to climb to the top.

 **"** Sorry," Arturo said, "the pyramid has been permanently closed off for climbing due to a fatality."

In every crowd, there are always some who are intensely curious about fatalities and wanted to know all the gory details.

Arturo shook his head, "All I can say is that climbing has not been allowed since 2006 when an American tourist fell to her death."

"Now that's something they should tell you about when you book this tour," Olivia complained. She'd been really looking forward to climbing to the very top of the pyramid.

"No chance at all they'll re-open?" Fitz asked.

Again, Arturo shook his head, "It's all tied up in the courts right now, I think." He shrugged. "Oh, yeah, there are exceptions special requests like for instance marriage proposals can be arranged for a nominal fee."

Fitz's expression brightened up. On his first opportunity, he was going to ask Arturo for the chance of a lifetime. He was sure Olivia would be absolutely thrilled; he couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

A young boy whined, he wanted to go back home and his parents immediately shushed him.

"You can't leave Mexico without snorkeling at Akumal Bay home to the Green Sea Turtles," the tour guide continued enthusiastically. " These turtles are currently on the endangered species list. It's an unforgettable experience, best of all it's absolutely free," Arturo grinned, "the sea turtles are not interested in bothering humans and the water is as clear as glass.

Olivia and Fitz exchanged a look that spoke volumes; they both instantly agreed that swimming with the turtles was next on their list of things to do while in Cancun.

Arturo continued his history lesson for another few minutes before he gave everyone a 15 minute break to snap pictures. Olivia pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures. Next thing she knew Fitz was grinning beside her as though he'd just won the lottery.

"What's up? She smirked.

"You'll never guess."

"Uh...I'm terrible at guessing."

"We got permission to climb to the top…just the two of us…"

"Fitz!" she playfully rebuked him, "don't joke like that!"

"It's no joke," he said sporting his best boyish grin, "We get 15 minutes so let's get going, sweetheart."

Olivia stared at him dumbfounded.

"That's right, Just the two of us," he peered back at the group gathered by Arturo, "let's just not make it too obvious to the others... otherwise

we'll have to face their murderous looks when we get back, " he chuckled.

Then, he took her hand, pulled up the rope, and guided her to the first steps. She stopped for a moment to glance back at Arturo who nodded from afar and tilted his hat in silent salute.

"Fitz, how did you do it, how did you convince him?"

"I told him we were honeymooners," he wickedly replied. Olivia shook her head, smiling. "Watch your step, sweetheart and don't look down or behind you."

Olivia looked up the stairs leading to the top of the pyramid. She felt a sense of trepidation to realize that some of the steps had pieces missing.

"You'll do just fine," Fitz re-assured her as though he'd been reading her mind. "We'll take it slow. You can hold on to me when you need to."

Olivia bit her lip and Fitz frowned, reminding her to stop biting it. Her next words only served to endear her to him. "Fitz, you got to stay close to me, I don't want to fall."

"I'll be with you every second."

His words were like music to her ears, encouraging her to keep her eyes glued on him in their ascent, effectively resisting the temptation to look down. Every step she took brought her closer to the spirit of the Mayan civilization. She couldn't help but be in awe of the unsurpassed skills of these ancient ancestors who had been able to calculate the precise angle of the sun and the shadows it would cast from the corners of each tier on the first day of every spring and fall. She wondered whether a modern team of engineers and architects would have been able to create such magnificent structures.

Olivia's foot nearly slipped off a broken, narrow step but Fitz was able to steady her and keep her from falling.

"I'm no mountain climber," she breathed, her chest pounding, holding onto Fitz for dear life.

"We're almost to the top."

"Maybe this the wrong time to mention I've always been _a little_ afraid of heights?"

The way she said that was amusing. "You're doing fantastic, then!" he chuckled. "Hold on, just a couple of steps…"

As they safely moved from the ninety-first step onto the platform, Fitz took off his baseball cap, stood with his legs apart and hands on his hips, feeling as though he was a discoverer of a lost world, a new conquistador!

"Amazing!" Olivia said, coming up behind him, breathlessly. Instinctively, she slipped her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder.

"They knew…the Mayas knew we would come here one day," he stated with absolute conviction as they moved forward to the center of the room. "They knew they had to make a good impression so they built this for us."

"Perhaps it's true, they were visited by aliens," Olivia chuckled. Then, as if in a trance, she walked facing the sun to one of the open doorways and looked over the edge. The tourists in the courtyard below looked like ants.

For a few breathtaking moments, they peered out into the distance, into the sea of the other magnificent Mayan structures against the clear blue sky. Then they gazed into each other's eyes with a sense of 'WOW'. This was truly an unforgettable experience and they both felt privileged, it was beyond description.

"We're so close to the edge," Fitz breathed not with fear but with a sense of exhilaration.

At once, Olivia looked down at her feet and realized that they were indeed closer to the edge of the precipice than she had anticipated. There was nothing keeping them from falling off to the ground below; there were no steps or anything else to hold on to. One tiny step in the wrong direction…

"It's okay, baby, I got you," he put his arms around her and she leaned into him with a sigh.

At last, she turned around very slowly and for just a moment time stood still.

"Olivia," he murmured in her ear, "I want you so much," he lowered his lips to hers and groaned deep in his throat.

Together they swayed toward the nearest rugged wall, in between kisses,until her back rested against a niche. By then, he was already pushing down her shorts and panties and she was trying to help him by toeing her clothing down her legs. Arousal ached between her thighs with an urgency she'd never experienced before.

She reached down to take his erection with both hands, caressing him lightly, rejoicing in the thrill of anticipation of what was coming next. She continued to torture him for another minute she continued to torture him for another minute and then he moved to press a kiss against her navel, urging her to widen her stance and started kissing her inner thighs. She gave out a series of small strangled cries as his tongue continued its assault on her sensitive feminine folds. Oh, yeees, he was sending her over the edge, licking, and teasing her until her legs started trembling with the effort of remaining upright.

He pushed a finger inside of her, "so wet for me already," he growled in her ear, lifting her and pressing her against the wall and then with a rapid movement, he released himself and pushed inside her. Stopping, he lifted her legs higher and put them around his hips, "keep them there, Livvie," he moaned, " _wow, you're so fucking tight,"_ as he slid inside of her.

She gasped wrapping her legs around him tightly, wanting to bring him closer to her as if they were not already as close as they could possibly be. "Oh, Fitz, Fitz!" Her cries of pleasure echoed through the historic Mayan ruins.

She clung to him as they kissed and he moved inside of her. He came in and out several times making her gasp every time. His strokes soon became stronger and his tongue in her mouth became stiffer and she knew he was about to come.

"Come for me, baby," Fitz mumbled in her ear, he desperately wanted her to come too at least one time even if this was just a quickie at the top of the world famous Mayan Castillo.

"So close," Olivia said shakily, her entire body was tight with the need to come.

"Come, come for me, baby. You're so fucking sexy!"

"Oooh, yeeees!"

"Come for me, come for me, now!"

Olivia's body began to clench, riding the wave of a long orgasm. Fitz came soon after while staring into her beautiful face.

"Wow." He grinned.

"Wow." She grinned back.

She let out a chuckle as they their breathing steadied, her forehead pressed tightly against his.

"What's so funny…?"

"I was thinking…what if we're not the only ones who've ever done it here?" She giggled while his gentle fingers helped her put her clothes back in place.

"We could ask…maybe Arturo does midnight reservations for couples…"

Olivia gasped, "Don't you dare!"

He chuckled. "I won't if you catch me first," he said pulling up his pants and then starting to make his way down the pyramid. Luckily going down the steps way a lot easier than going up.

"Fitz, wait!" she called after him nearly catching up with him.

A few minutes later, they caught up with the tour group, panting with laughter like a couple of teenagers.

"Sorry we're late," Fitz said to Arturo who simply nodded his head with a funny little smirk on his face.

After meeting up with the group, they walked a short distance to the largest ball court that had ever been discovered in Mesoamerica. The ball court was almost twice the size of a modern football field; it had vertical walls (rather than slanted) and rings mounted 26 feet high, depicting entwined rattlesnakes, and a bench running along the base of long alley walls. The benches exhibited carvings that show a scene where players are shown participating in a bloody- ball-game.

"They used rocks as basketballs," someone in the group laughed, "can you imagine?"

"They actually used rubber balls about 20 inches in diameter," Arturo clarified, "although it was indeed a deadly game. I believe that the winners were celebrated like heroes and the losers, well they usually suffered a harsh penalty like death."

"Well, I'm sure glad I wasn't alive back then," joked a young teenager with tattoos on his forearms and a long ponytail.

"Barbarians," muttered another.

Arturo commanded everyone's attention. "Everyone, clap your hands,"

Everyone clapped and a second later, an eerie echo reverberated all around them.

"Pretty cool," the teenager nodded.

Fitz and Olivia got busy taking pictures, taking turns underneath one of the rings until the teenager volunteered to take snapshots of the two of them together. They goofed around in some of the poses (Olivia made a peace sigh behind Fitz's head) and in others, they posed with their arms around each other and smiling candidly at the camera.

From there the group strolled to the astronomical observatory which was a short pyramid shaped like a dome at the top. And then finally, they made their way to the temple of the thousand columns.

"Stay right there, hold on a second," Fitz said getting ready to take a snapshot of Olivia hugging one of the columns carved with gods, people and serpents. Olivia smiled and he took the picture. Perfect.

Olivia felt the irresistible urge to play hide and seek and hid behind a different column when he wasn't looking. Soon they were running, panting with laughter and romping around like children. At last, Olivia was able to snuck up behind him and cover his eyes (getting on her tippy toes), "guess who!"

"Time for lunch!" Arturo announced. It was after 1:00 pm.

"Whoo-hoo, Praise the Lord!" Olivia cheered. Both she and Fitz were ravenous and enjoyed every bite of a carne asada burrito served on a bistro table in a cozy little restaurant.

* * *

 **A natural wonder**

After lunch, Arturo led them down a short hike to a cenote, a type of rocky underground open cave. The deep pit was gorgeous; it had been formed by the collapsing of a cave and thus, it was naturally open to the sky. From the top, it appeared like a giant hole in the ground, but when you get closer it was like you are looking into another dimension. Vines and flowers lined the walls of the sinkhole, as well as the occasional waterfall. Then at the very bottom of the pit, there was a great big pool of water and unlike other cenotes in the area, the water was not crystal clear. And even though the water was dark and catfish swarmed in it's depths, swimming was very safe. According to Arturo, the catfish didn't bite. Therefore, he encouraged everyone to dive to their heart's content.

"How deep is it?" Olivia asked, staring down at the people already in the water, bobbing up and down.

"It's 85 ft deep," Arturo grinned, "the Mayas believe the Cenote was sacred. Believe it or not, young men and women were thrown there to die as a sacrifice to the god of rain."

Fitz and Olivia exchanged a look of dismay. And then, along with the others in their group, they put their belongings in the lockers looked at the entrance. No one was allowed to bring anything with them, not even a towel or flip flops.

Fitz happily took off his shirt, shoes and socks; he was very much looking forward to cooling off after a long day in the sun.

Olivia wordlessly offered to put his items in her backpack, and then she headed for the restroom to change.

When she came out of the restroom a few minutes later, Fitz whistled to himself. She looked spectacular in her two piece bathing suit.

Olivia blushed and half smiled too, feeling a little self-conscious.

"Enjoy yourselves!" Arturo said cheerfully. "Like my grandfather used to say, live today like there's no tomorrow…" he shrugged in a joking manner, "cause before you know it you'll be sixty-one!"

Almost everyone laughed at that, except for the one couple in the group who seemed to be rapidly approaching their late fifties. Realizing his faux pas, Arturo gave them an apologetic look.

Fitz and Olivia trailed behind the others as the group climbed down a carved stairway made out of limestone rock all the way until they reached a large platform. At this point they could choose to keep going down the stairway and walk down to the cenote or to jump/cliff dive from the platform.

Fitz decidedly reached for Olivia's hand and murmured, "let's jump."

Olivia hesitated.

"You won't regret it, it's fun!" said the young woman they'd befriended along with her boyfriend. They were both from Northern California and this was their second trip to Cancun, they said.

"Trust me, this is something you won't wanna miss," The woman's boyfriend reassured her. "If you do, you'll regret it as long as you live."

Olivia chuckled, the man's statement was definitely over the top. And then, in the blink of an eye, she watched the couple jump off the cenote together in awe. WOW! Her eyes followed their trajectory as they went over the precipice and dove under water. She held her breath, counting off the seconds until she saw them resurface down below and waving back, smiling. It had all happened so fast. Her lips naturally curved into a nervous smile.

"I _don't_ think I can," Olivia said once they were at the edge of the platform. She was freaking terrified.

"Yes you can!" He countered.

For one sweet moment, Olivia thought of Adam and the beloved tale of _The Little Engine That Could._

 _I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!_

The Little red engine reminded itself.

"Oh, c'mon," Fitz moped, "It won't be nearly as fun without you."

"I'm flattered that you'd become so attached to me, really, but I think I'll pass," Olivia smirked, giving his naked torso a long sidelong glance.

"Hey, you can do it. Just look at what you've done in the last 48 hours…you surfed the toughest waves in town; you climbed to the top of one of the 7 wonders of the universe…what's a little hole in the ground?" He smirked. "C'mon, Liv, what's is it gonna take to convince you?"

"Fitz…I..."

"A kiss?"

Olivia let out a nervous chuckle. Fitz was grinning from ear to ear, sporting that boyish look that she so loved.

He gently pulled her closer, their hot breath touching. She closed her eyes as he kissed her brow, her temples, her cheeks, her mouth. She parted her lips as he pressed a whisper of a kiss across her lips.

The magic of the moment lingered in the air until he broke the kiss with another one of his quick grins, "Liv, hold my hand," he whispered stepping closer to the edge of the platform.

At last, Olivia stepped forward and clasped his hand, looking into his eyes, her heart beating so fiercely she felt it might just burst from her chest.

 _I think I can, I think I can, I think I can._

In the next moment, they were jumping off together, feet first.

The height they had jumped made them both go about twenty feet under before beginning to resurface. Still under water and with his eyes open, Fitz easily spotted Olivia her long legs kicking. She was diving low under him and he realized that she must have been looking for him. He felt her slippery arms searching, her hands sliding around him. At last, she reached for him kicking as they rose together to the surface. As they broke through the fresh air, Olivia knew she would always remember this moment for the rest of her life. It had been absolutely perfect, she thought, eyes bright, smiling wide.

 **A/N:**

I'm sooo ready for a Cancun vacation! YES! If I disappear for a while, you know where to find me, I'll be swimming with giant sea turtles! *sigh* If only I could convince Tony/Fitz to come with me!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

Guys, I didn't mean to take so long to update but I was really having trouble moving forward with this story.

I had to re-write this chapter several times and this is the 4th re-write. I didn't know how to fix it , all I knew was that I was unhappy with the result each time. I thought for sure my muse had abandoned me until a couple of days ago. And then, something finally clicked.

A big shout out to _kkimberly49_ , _DaisyOlitz4Ever_ and _kelleekellkell,_ couldn't have written this chapter without you!

Here's part one, had to break this chapter into two so that I could this out to you & keep working on the second part, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Later in the afternoon.

After their long swim in the Cenote they hiked back to the main drag at Chichen Itza. Even though it was a little after five in the afternoon, it was still hot and humid but the sun did not burn . At this point, Fitz couldn't wait for them to get back on the road to Cancun. However, on their way there, the whole group made a stop to browse at the souvenirs being sold by various street vendors.

Olivia made a beeline for an adorable rag doll with a wide Mexican sombrero which would undoubtedly make a great souvenir and a few other items including ceramic replicas of The Castle for everyone on her list.

Right beside her, Fitz picked up a wooden cup and ball toy with a string attached. "Do you think Adam will like this?" Fitz ventured and then started playing with it tossing the ball into the cup until he got it in. "Look at that!" he beamed. "What do you think? Is it age appropriate?" it occurred to him that he didn't know much about little kids.

Olivia turned to him smiling, touched that he'd thought of getting something for her son. "That's a great toy. Umm… yeah, I think it's fine for him. It might be a little frustrating at first, but he's persistent. He'll love the challenge."

Fitz was happy to hear that.

Olivia then turned her attention back to the vendor, "I also need a couple of T-shirts." but the man was now busy tending to his other customers.

"We were here first!" Fitz protested loudly, if there was anything he hated was bad customer service. He was instantly aware of Olivia' s questioning look **. "** _La senorita necesita su attencion, ella estaba aqui primero,_ (the lady was here first)" he said in perfect Spanish.

The merchant—who was well into his sixties- turned to look at them with a morose expression that clearly said, _okay what do you want?_

Olivia pointed to the t- shirts behind him. " _Do you have those in blue_?"

The vendor reached behind him and pulled out three different styles of T shirts two with the slogan 'I love Mexico' and another one that said Cancun, Mexico. "What size?"

Olivia selected the one that said Cancun, "I need two of these, one small and one medium."

Fitz good-naturedly sneered at the T shirt selection, "You got any that say _I- went- to- Cancun- and- all- I- got- was- this- lousy- T shir_ t?" He asked the old man who eyed him with a confused look on his face.

"Fitz, c'mon" Olivia chuckled and gave him a playful nudge. "He has no clue, you know."

"I know, that's what makes it fun."

She was now ready to pay, "How much is it?"

"How much you want to pay?" the merchant countered.

Olivia had no idea, bargaining was not her thing; she would rather pay a fixed price.

Fitz turned to the vendor and slipped him a couple of hundreds, "Keep the change." He then turned to Olivia who looked quite perplexed.

"What a smooth operator you are," she murmured in awe as the vendor handed Fitz a large plastic bag with the merchandise.

"It's no bouquet of roses, my love, but for now, it outta do," he smirked as they walked away from the vendor and handed her the bag.

For a moment there as she weighed the bag in her hand, Olivia considered taking a page out of her mother's book and telling him in no uncertain terms that she couldn't accept his gift. That was precisely what her mother Evelyn Pope had said after Olivia's father had walked out on them, determined to do without rather than accept any money from him. But something stopped her from making the same mistake. Somewhere deep inside she knew that kind of prideful attitude was a recipe for a lot of misery and besides, that would certainly put a damper on their nice easy banter.

"It certainly looks like I'm gonna have to _keep my eyes on you_ ," she said in mock reprimand.

"Good, cos' I'm not gonna be able to _take my eyes off you_ ," he countered locking eyes with her as they continued to walk behind the group. "So you better get used to it, you know."

Her lips curved into a slow smile, "Is that so?

"You got it, baby," he smirked back.

"Now, seriously, Fitz...how much did you pay him?"

Fitz shrugged trying to remember exactly how many bills he' d given the street vendor. "Three, four hundred?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "You gave him _that much_ money?"

Fitz was absolutely baffled. Never before had a woman expressed surprise over him spending too much money. Granted, Olivia didn't know yet that he was a multimillionaire but, it was obvious he wasn't on food stamps. He thought he' d made that quite clear. He could have just purchased the whole damn kiosk and have everything shipped home.

Olivia didn't know what to make of Fitz's attitude about money. So happy go lucky he seemed.

 _Fitz is not like Derek,_ she reminded herself. Derek had been a control freak. For as long as they were married, he'd controlled every darned penny under the guise that he'd earned more money than she and therefore he was entitled to make all financial decisions. Right after Adam was born he announced he did not want her to go back to work. But Olivia couldn't see herself as a regular soccer mom driving the proverbial Toyota mini-van. Derek was absolutely furious over her decision and made her life a living hell. Often, she'd found herself broke and had to depend on his good will. Lord knows how much she'd hated having to ask him for money since the daycare/preschool tuition took the largest chunk out of her paycheck. Luckily, after Adam turned three so she no longer had that expense.

Okay, then," she paused to give him a sidelong glance and a half smile, "next time it's my turn to pay the piper."

 **"** Yes, ma'am," he replied with a cocky smirk.

She gave him a dubious look, "I mean it, you know. We take turns you and I... every. Single. time."

"Absolutely," the smirk on his face had graduated to self-satisfied smile. He was liking the fact that she was so confident, self-determined and fiercely independent.

Before they knew it, they caught up with the rest of the group. Mary, the American woman she'd befriended stayed a little behind seeking to strike up a conversation with Olivia and exchange contact information. In the same manner, John (Mary's boyfriend) lagged behind and said to Fitz, "Women...can't live with them, can't live without them." Fitz chuckled in response. The man went on eyeing the bag of merchandise that Fitz was carrying, "Ah, I see you got your share of dollar store items. We got enough to open up our own shop when we get back home."

Fitz chuckled again, trying to relate to the man. But the truth was that he couldn't. Despite his effort to be like the guy next door, he realized that he was operating under a completely different mind-set when it came to the value of money.

A little further ahead as they nearly reached the courtyard where the ancient ruins resided, Olivia and Mary stopped at yet another street vendor. Watching Olivia from afar, Fitz continued talking with John who was a big talker, issuing a flow of chatter on all topics ancient and contemporary. His keen eye didn't miss the exchanging of money and goods flowing from Olivia to the vendor and he couldn't help but wonder what she'd purchased.

* * *

Shortly after, Arturo led the group to a traditional Mexican restaurant buffet style for refreshments and reprieve from the hot sun. The whole group sat at a long banquet style table.

Olivia and Fitz sat together side by side on sturdy wooden chairs with tall backs. Once they were seated an were waiting for their meals to arrive, Olivia pulled out a wooden box decorated with intricate carvings of Mayan symbols such as the feathered serpent and set it out on the table in front of Fitz.

"It's for you," she said with a soft smile. "It's a cryptex. The minute I saw it, I knew it was for you."

Fitz's brows rose in surprise. Then, he carefully opened the box to reveal a bronze cylinder with five rows of letters and an inner chamber. "A cryptex like in the _Davinci Code_?" He met her eyes just in time to see her nod and said a quiet thank you. This was the first time a woman had given him a gift outside of social convection like Christmas or birthdays. Usually, he'd always been the gift giver in every relationship he'd ever been in.

"Thank you. What a thoughtful gift," his face lit up with genuine appreciation. Holding the cylinder in his hands his mind flashed back to the time when as a young boy he'd found a similar looking cylinder with tiles to form words inside his mother's chest of drawers. He'd never been able to open it, didn't know the password and he'd forgotten all about it until this moment.

The fact that Olivia had given him a similar item was no less than astonishing. He opened his mouth to speak, to tell her about his mother but then changed his mind as the chatter of the others in the background reminded him that they were not alone. This was not the right time. Even to this day, it was difficult for him to talk about his mother.

Fitz reached for her hand across her lap and pulled it into his own. In response, she leaned into him with a serene smile, her eyes searching his.

Somewhere in the background, Olivia was vaguely aware of Arturo asking a question directed at the entire the group. Fitz then murmured for her ears only, "Livvie, do you like mangoes?"

She had to ask him to repeat the question, because her thoughts had swerved and got stuck on the way his shirt pulled across his shoulders. Her throat burned with the memory of his solid muscular chest against her breasts, the weight of his body against hers, the taste of his mouth, and the wonderful scent of his skin.

She shook her head, "I've never had one before."

"Well, aren't you in for a great treat," he flirted fully aware of how focused she was with him at the moment. "Just the tiniest bite and you'll be begging for more."

She let out an appreciative groan meant just for him just as a waiter approached the table with a skinless mango resting on a stick much like an oversized popsicle. He then went on to slicing the fruit into the shape of a tulip with splendid precision and in five seconds flat, and presented it to Olivia with a poised bow. Everyone clapped enthusiastically as he repeated the procedure and gave another tulip shaped mango to another female in their group.

At first, Olivia took a tiny bite, not wanting to mess up the waiter's awesome creation. She then held the fruit to Fitz in silent invitation and watched him closely as he pressed the cool, juicy fruit to his lips.

 _Hmm…._

They continued to alternate taking bites of the fruit amid the sound of their own laughter as they struggled to keep the juicy mess contained and from running down their chins.

After wiping her mouth with a cloth napkin, she carefully dabbed his chin with as much grace as she could muster. He was still smiling that devilish smile of his and she couldn't help but kiss those sexy lips of his. He stared at her in wonder of her for a second before giving in to her kiss and the exquisite taste of the tropical fruit lingering in her mouth.

Someone in the group whistled and a few others clapped.

Most reluctantly, she broke their kiss, she just couldn't get enough of this man.

"See, I told ya," he said with a cocky grin, "you'd be begging for more."

Olivia felt a warmth rise to her cheeks and looked away, willing herself to concentrate and stop herself from giving away the direction of her unruly, x-rated thoughts as she feared would be written all over her face for the entire group to see.

"Okay, Mr. Stud. " She whispered in his ear as soon as she recovered, "just wait until tonight," she trailed off in a sultry voice while her eyes roamed the room watching other people and smiling as though she was being social. "And we'll see then who does all the begging."

He lowered his gaze and smiled to himself. He was really enjoying all this playful teasing. Too bad there were so many people around them. "Hmm...now we're talking..." He mumbled in her ear. "Can't wait to hear you screaming my name tonight."

And he felt her breath catch and his heart raced.

For a few moments, neither one of them spoke. He knew that when she didn't offer any playful banter back that she was feeling the intensity of the moment, recalling the magic of their lovemaking and that their relationship was shifting to something deeper, lasting.

Their meals arrived shortly after that and a select group of servers dressed in traditional Mexican costumes suddenly became their entertainers for the rest of the evening Much to everyone's delight, the waiters and waitresses began dancing to the sound of music while wearing trays with open bottles of beer on top of their heads. Nothing was dropped, not a single drop was spilled.

Overall, Fitz and Olivia had a good time along with the group watching the performers. Towards the end, a couple of teenagers took the floor and attempted to try and keep a tray balanced on their heads. The end result was the roars of laughter and spilled beer. Everyone left the restaurant with huge smiles including Olivia who this time got the uncontested opportunity to pay the bill for her meal and Fitz's.

 **A/N:**

 **Okay, next time we will get to meet Adam. I got part 2 of this chapter almost done so it shouldn't take me too long to update this time.**

Have a wonderful week


	9. Chapter 9

After bidding farewell to the group and then later to Arturo in particular, Fitz slipped an arm around Olivia's waist as casually as he could manage and murmured into her ear, "ready to go?"

She gave him a slight nod. And he slid his hand down her spine and kept it at the small of her back as they sauntered over to the nearest taxi parked at the curb.

The driver held the rear door open for them; she climbed in glad to be off her feet and he climbed in the back seat beside her, loving the nice cool air inside the cab.

After asking for their destination, the driver politely inquired as to which road they'd like to take. There were two roads, the toll and the toll free which would take them through every town and cluster of homes between Cancun and Chicken Itza. It was a longer ride, he explained, but they would certainly get a feel for the real Mexican life and many tourists preferred this option even though there were more potholes and speed bumps on the roads.

The couple thought about it and decided against it since much of the ride would necessarily take place in the moonlight, under the stars. Olivia wished the first cab driver had offered them that option early that morning when they rode to Chichen Itza. Instead, the other driver went straight for the toll road without asking their opinion. But then, Fitz reminded her that they'd been running a little late this morning and they would have probably missed the tour had they taken the toll free road.

Once the driver merged on toll road 180 heading back to the Hyatt Zilara, they were content to ride in silence for the first ten minutes or so, taking in the lovely scenery, quietly processing the events of the day, and watching the last rays of sunlight making the most beautiful sunset, a breathtaking orange dome that slowly disappeared below the horizon.

Still without talking, Olivia took his hand in hers, leaned her head against his shoulder and gazed out the window. With their hands resting across her lap, right below the hem of her shorts, his thumb started tracing small rhythmic circles against the throbbing base of her wrist. He was pleasantly surprised to feel her quiver beneath his fingertips, knowing that her reaction was not caused by the cold of the air conditioning and neither did the reciprocal shudder that coursed through him have anything to do with the temperature in the vehicle.

Her eyes fluttered close, his touch was so soft and smooth, tiny convulsions of pleasure rolled through her in waves. Sensing her deep contentment, Fitz smiled to himself thinking he could get used to this alright. Yes. He wanted nothing more than to brand this amazing woman as his own. Taking care not to disturb her, he pulled out his phone, planning their next adventure; there was no doubt about it, he felt more alive, more whole with her by his side.

 **"** Liv, " he started after a long while and only after she'd shifted positions and straightened herself in her seat. At the sound of her nickname which, by the way, rolled off his tongue as though he'd been using it all his life, she turned to gaze at him. "Do you still have your heart set on taking the snorkeling excursion and the giant sea turtles? Akumal is only 30 miles from Cancun, we can-" Fitz trailed off. Even though she was looking at him, he realized she wasn't truly listening.

"Earth to Olivia… is anybody home?"

She blinked, his words jarring her out of her reverie. She'd been thinking about her little boy back home and how much she missed the sound of his little voice, and what his reaction might be to meeting Fitz. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was asking if you wanted to do tomorrow," he prompted, "excursion to swim with the Sea turtles? We can also take a tour to the pyramids in Coba which by the way, are open for climbing any time, if you rather do that instead."

"I think we should go with the sea turtles swim and tour first. Is that okay with you? "

"Sure. You know I was thinking…for the Coba tour, as much as I enjoyed Arturo's tour, I think we better schedule a private tour this time."

Olivia pursed her lips disliking the idea. "A private tour is a little extravagant. And I would rather not. Besides, it's over my budget-" she trailed off. It was her turn to pay. But it wasn't so much that. In truth, she had enjoyed being part of Arturo's group plus she'd also made a new friend.

"You sure are different from my ex-wife. " He quickly retorted. As soon as the words left his mouth he'd known it had been a mistake. What had he been thinking? He mentally kicked himself. For better or worse, it was in his nature to make comparisons; it was his Achilles heel—one that had gotten him in trouble more than once.

Olivia cringed at the mention of his ex-wife. Didn't he know that was a big no-no? You're never supposed to mention an ex to a new love interest. She searched his eyes and studied him closely, "Fitz, we need to settle something before we move forward in this relationship. Don't ever compare me to your ex-wife, Fitz. I don't know anything about her and I don't want to know."

"Duly noted," he promptly replied. "Listen, I'm not planning of making it a habit of mentioning her. This is good. I want us to be open and honest with each other like this. If something is bothering you or you don't want to do something, you need to be able to tell me and viceversa." His gorgeous eyes were so full of sincerity that Olivia felt like she could give him anything he wanted. "Please promise me you won't hold back from me?"

Olivia nodded breathlessly, enamored with his words in combination with his rich baritone voice as he continued.

"I want everything from you and I want to give you ALL of me, knowing I'm getting ALL of you. I NEED that from the woman I'm with cos' frankly I'm not fucking around anymore, I'm too old for that," he paused giving her his best boyish grin, "I need you to get that."

Olivia felt her throat constrict, her heart hammering in her chest. What could she say to that? He was basically telling her he was giving her all of him and all he wants in return was all of her. Is that not what every woman wants to hear of the man she's falling for?

Unable to speak, she simply nodded. They started into each other's eyes for the longest time, as she leaned in to meet his lips. He deepened the kiss and she moaned against his lips in a sweet and compelling sound.

The cab driver cleared his throat loud and clear and then turned the radio. They broke the kiss and smiled at each other rather sheepishly. After a little while, they resumed their conversation.

 **"** Okay, I like that we're being honest with each other." She paused, to convey the importance of what she was about to say. "There is something you should know," she went on, his candid words made her want to reciprocate and put her best foot forward. "I'm a bottler…that means, I tend to keep things bottled up hoping that the problem will fix itself," she admitted with a small smile and a slight shrug.

Fitz was impressed, that was not an easy thing to confess which incidentally reminded him he should come clean and lay all the cards on the table.

She went on, "I want things to be fair between us when it comes to money. This is a sensitive issue for me. Like you, I don't want to make a habit of mentioning his name. But I think it's important, so you see where I'm coming from." She paused and waited for his nod to continue. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as this was not and easy thing to say. "My ex-husband Derek used money to control me. It took me a while to save up enough money to become financially independent. And then I got my divorce and I'm doing fairly well. I never wanted any alimony and all child support payments are going directly to a college trust fund for Adam." She concluded proudly. She'd made a mistake choosing Derek but she'd learned the telltale signs of an abuser and she was not making the same mistake again. With Fitz she was certain that he was a completely different kind of man, she could feel it in her gut.

Fitz studied her for a few moments. Olivia's ex husband had used money for power. He shook his head. Money, money. It was often considered the root of all evil for a reason. And while having money can certainly make life a lot easier, it also has the power to destroy relationships when used as a means to control others.

And then, it occurred to him that he was tired of hiding. To be sure, she needed to know the extent of his family's fortune.

He took her hand and peered into her eyes. "Liv, I'm sorry to hear you had to go through that. Tough times never last, but tough people do. And you Olivia, you're strong, you're a fighter, I can see it in your eyes."

Olivia smiled at that. Fitz was instantly enamored with her candid smile, one of the very best she'd ever given him. In fact, he was so smitten by it that he nearly forgot his prior resolution.

"Anyway. I wanted to say that...I want you to know that money means nothing to me."

"What do you mean by that?" she questioned him, her expression becoming more serious. It seemed to her that his was nothing but a blanket statement and she wanted specifics.

"Money means nothing except for what you do with it and the lives you touch, it means nothing without someone to share it with." He began looking away, searching for the right words. " Listen, in my world, money is no object, ever. Nothing is ever too much money."

Olivia nodded slowly, the wheels in her head turning as a new realization struck her. "So you don't just own a security business franchise of Allstate Insurance..." she ventured, "There's more?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes, there's more, " he paused for effect. His gaze shifted to the driver. Music played on the radio loud and clear but just in case, he whispered, "My family owns many businesses. We have interests in everything from computer software to Shakey's Pizza parlors, millions more than I could ever count. Many are currently in dispute due to a clause in my grandfather's will. Allstate Security Services belongs to me and my brother which we inherited directly from our father after he passed away, that's the only asset that belongs to me fair and square. But my grandfather's will is another matter all together. There's more and it's complicated. Do you want to hear it all?"

Olivia's eyes widened in surprise, three days ago, she' d been relaxing in the sun reading a novel. And now she felt as if she was living in one. And she'd been the only character who didn't know the plot.

"I don't know. I don't know. How could this be?" she mumbled mostly to herself. From their previous conversation last night she knew he was wealthy but not _this wealthy_.

 _Fitzgerald Grant was a multimillionaire._ Their lives couldn't have been more different, she realized. He had grown up in luxury, pampered and indulged, his every need anticipated; while she, Olivia, had none of these things **.** On the contrary, from and early age she'd had to contribute to her family's finances by earning money baby sitting or other small jobs and then by getting her work permit early while she was still in high school. As and adult, she'd had to struggle working hard for every dollar she ever earned, every vacation she's ever taken.

"Why didn't you tell me from the get-go?" She wondered in a low voice like the coo of a dove, pulling her hand away from his and sinking further back into the corner of her seat.

Fitz shrugged and pursed his lips; he really thought it had been clear. "I should have...but I didn't. " he said with some regret.

There was a deep penetrating silence between them. As if sensing their discomfort and wanting to put an end to it, the taxi driver turned up the radio to the sound of rapid fire Spanish.

"Fitz?"

He cocked his head, again he reached for her hand but she pulled away. How was it that they were so close together in physical proximity and yet their souls were miles apart?

His silence and the guilty look on his face told her there was more. "Is there anything else I need to know?" She prompted.

Fitz took a deep breath and let it out slowly, thinking he might as well tell her now, "I spoke to the manager and had him bill me for all your meals and hotel room expenses."

"So you thought because you had money you could just pay for everything without my consent?" She shook her head in utter disbelief. "Did you just think I would be happy when I found out? "

Fitz shook his head, he'd only intended to make her life easier. Like he said before, money didn't mean anything to him and he'd had good intentions. Didn't that matter?

 **"** Does this mean I'm not forgiven?" Don't I get any credit for telling you instead of you finding out on your own later on?"

"Fitz...I..." she hesitated. "Of course I forgive you. But I need sometime to think about this. I need sometime alone."

For the rest of the ride to Cancun, they barely spoke. Fitz decided he was going to respect her wishes and give her some space. And once they arrived at their hotel, Olivia retrieved her things which were still in Fitz's suite and got ready to leave. Out of the corner of his eye, Fitz watched her pack while sitting in the adjoining room, his gaze returning to the laptop on his lap.

"Fitz, I will..." she stuttered and stopped and just looked at him. He peered back at her expectantly. "I will see you tomorrow," she added with a straight look hoping he understood she just needed a little time and space to think things through.

His face grew wonderful soft, tender even. "Okay, then. See you tomorrow, Liv," he murmured. He didn't want to go but he understood her need for sometime alone.

Olivia took a deep breath and let it slowly, quietly closing the door behind her. Five minutes later she was in her own hotel room changing into her comfiest lounge wear. Even though she felt a little deflated, she was also glad to have some time to herself. She'd been with Fitz for the better part of the last 48 hours. Still, she knew she would be up late tonight thinking about him.

* * *

Fitz's POV

Fitz, what you did was wrong. You shouldn't have assumed she would be happy to know you took care of all of her expenses.

 _Not really_ , he reflected, _I was only trying to do a good thing, because I care about her. What's so terrible about that?_

She has this thing about money, don't you see? And it seems it's going to come between the two of you. …

 _Only if I let it. And I won't. I will respect her wishes. And in time, she will come to see that…_

You want to treat her like a queen to impress her and show her that you can.

 _No, that's not it at all. I want to treat her like a queen, give her everything I got and more…because her happiness means more to me than anything…because in my heart, everything I am, everything I have is already hers._

Wow. That's deep. Try telling her that.

 _That will need to wait, my friend, I don't want to scare her away._

Fitz tossed in his bed some more. There was no way to quiet the conversation going on in his head. A couple of hours later, he was still awake, thinking about her. There was something charming about the gift she'd given him earlier at the restaurant. The simplicity of it. She bought it and gave it to him in the spur of the moment without embellishing it in fancy _gift-wrap_. And he liked that very much indeed. From there his thoughts strayed to the amazing time he spent with her _wrapped_ in his arms. The peach scent of her hair, the velvety smoothness of her skin sliding beneath his fingertips and the wonder of her alluring figure as he became one with her, made him realize right then and there that from this day forward he would be forever addicted to Olivia's brand of lovemaking.

* * *

Olivia's POV

So what if he wants to make you his personal charity case? What's so bad about that, Olivia? Shish!

 _I need to be financially independent and I don't know how I can do that in this relationship . Letting him take care of me, makes all the sacrifices I've made staying married to Derek until you'd saved up enough money to leave and all the sacrifices mother made raising me as a single mom after dad left seem like a big joke._

Really? I think you're making a mountain out of a mole-hill. The important thing is that his intentions were good. Just because he paid your hotel bill doesn't mean that he's trying to control you.

Maybe.

Olivia had a hard time sleeping that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she replayed their conversation in the taxi followed by key moments of their lovemaking the night before. Oh, yes, and then later, the scene of them together in _the castle_ in delicious detail to the point that she didn't think she would have the strength to move even if the room was on fire. She felt her panties getting soaked but she wasn't going to do anything about it, it was him who she wanted.

From time to time, her mind wandered back again to their conversation in the taxi. She flipped on her stomach, hoping to bury her head and her thoughts in the pillow. She groaned, she could still feel him against her, hot and thick. Oh, God, what had she done? She couldn't believe how things had escalated either. One moment they'd been kissing and the next…

She groaned. The voice in her head smugly reminded her that he'd actually apologized for going behind her back and paying off all her hotel expenses. He was the best thing that had happened to her (other than her son) and she had walked away.

Closing her eyes, she tried to count sheep to sheep to settle her restlessness. When she reached 97 baa-ing fur balls, she couldn't stand it anymore. She had to talk to him.

* * *

She was about to send him a text when she remembered their meet and swim with the sea turtles. Sitting up in bed, cell phone in hand, she navigated several websites and selected _Aviator_ _Trip advisor company._ A quick check told her there was availability for two adults. She would have much rather visited the travel agency at the hotel and have them make the reservations as they would help her shop around for the best price but since this was after hours this would have to do. Without giving it further thought, she made the reservations and logged off.

Now she needed to tell Fitz. She blinked a few times in shock. A glance at top right corner of screen told her it was after 3:30 am. Darn it! She couldn't believe it was this late. But she had to tell him. Maybe he was still awake? If not, he would see her text early in the morning. So she texted him using the voice to text feature.

OLIVIA: Hi.

She waited. He was probably asleep, she thought in dismay.

FITZ: Hi.

 _He's awake! YAY!_

OLIVIA: I just made the reservation for tomorrow. The tour company will be picking us up at 8:00 am.

FITZ: Great.

OLIVIA: Set your alarm clock.

FITZ: If I over sleep, go without me.

Olivia held the cell phone to her chest and took a deep breath.

Her heart sank. There was no way she could go to this tour without him, she would miss him every second of her day. _Ask him to come over, Liv, you know you're dying to!_ She lay there thinking for a long while about the wording of her text. Nothing she came up with sounded good. It was either too demanding or too needy. Finally, she gathered the courage to send the text.

OLIVIA: Fitz, I miss you. Please come to my room. I'll be your alarm clock.

She ended her message with a smiley face.

She waited and waited dreaming of his body in bed next to hers, but his reply never came.

* * *

DAY 5

The next morning, Olivia woke up late, she'd tossed and turned all night. It was well past 9 am. Funny how this was the first morning she'd slept in since arriving in Cancun.

Oh, no, darn it! They missed the tour!

One glance at her phone told her that Fitz had never replied to her text.

Feeling deflated, she stayed in bed doing nothing just thinking. Half an hour went by. She was starved. Oh, darn it, she sighed, it was too late now for the breakfast buffet; she might as well wait for lunch.

With a big stretch, she climbed out of bed. She needed to take a nice long shower and wash her hair. And then what? Hang out by the pool? Read? Maybe. Hey wait a minute! You still got those vouchers for the health spa! She checked her appearance in the mirror and grabbed a brush. _Yes! I'll use them today, book another massage session and my_ _hair needs a trim to cut the frizz and tame the twists courtesy of this fine humidity without resorting to loads of styling products and hours with a straightening iron._ She certainly didn't have that kind of time _._ She was due back home in two days! Oh, my, where did all the time go?

Almost an hour later, she was ready to head out the door, clad in an orange crop top that warmed her complexion and brought her face to life, a pair of white capri pants, and medium-heeled Dolce Vita wedge sandals to match. Her plan was to go grab some lunch and head for the spa. Although first, she was going to stop by Fitz's room and say hello and find out why he had not replied to her text. Hopefully he was still in his room this late in the day? Suddenly, she felt a nudge in her spirit urging her to get moving, urging her not to waste any more time; there were only two days left before she had to go back to her old life and they hadn't even made any post vacation plans!

Fitz woke up late too; later than Olivia actually. It was past 10 am; he'd tossed and turned all night. His first thought was of Olivia, how beautiful she'd looked in his bed the night before last. God, he missed her. Wait a minute, look at the time, they'd missed the tour. Was it possible she left without him?

With a big stretch, he climbed out of bed. He went in the bathroom and took a nice hot shower, letting the hot steam cleanse his skin while fantasying about Olivia. God, how he missed her!

After getting dressed, he picked up his phone to send Olivia a text. And that's when he saw her message from last night, a message he'd somehow missed. He must have fallen asleep! He realized in dismay. And at once felt a nudge in his spirit urging him to get moving and not waste any more time.

Next thing he knew, he was standing in front of her door, dressed in aqua unbuttoned shirt over a plain white t-shirt and a nice pair of dark gray denims, silently rehearsing what he' s about to say just as the door opened, surprising him.

* * *

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Snoopy —a fine mannered Siamese cat- finished his tuna, licked his paws, and then wiped his face as though he had all the time in the world. After cleaning his face in the white tiled kitchen , he jumped on the couch where Adam was sitting watching TV. He then crawled on the boy's lap, headbutting him and purring. In all, life was treating him good and to top it off, he even got a smile from his young master when he licked his face.

Even with the television blaring and the sound of activity in the kitchen, Adam heard the door bell ring one time and dashed for the door. At four and a half, he was cute -dark hair crew cut style a little spiked at the ends, dark brown eyes, sun-kissed skin. He was a natural born leader who was well liked by his peers and educators; he was bright, curious, and loved to make others laugh. However, like most boys his age, he was a little on the impulsive side and despite repeated warnings in times past, he went ahead and unlocked the door even as he heard his grandmother calling from the kitchen.

Adam's Jaw dropped to see a real police man just like the ones he'd seen on TV standing outside the door. Then, he sort of hunched up one shoulder and bit his lip, _Oh oh, am I in trouble?_

"Adam, what did grandma tell you about not opening the door without grandma or mommy present? Grandma chastised the boy before glancing back at the police man, kitchen towel in hand.

" Sorry, grandma," Adam apologized before running off.

A young police officer flashed his police badge, "I'm officer Johnson," and with a slight questioning tilt of the head added, "Olivia Smith?"

"I'm her mother, Evelyn Pope," she opened the door just a tad more with increased apprehension. By the sick expression on the police officer's face she presumed the arrival of bad news. "My daughter Olivia no longer goes by Smith. She goes by Pope, her maiden name."

"She was married to Derek Smith, is that correct?"

At the mention of Derek's name, Evelyn looked back at Adam who was now sprawled on his stomach in the center of the room, his attention glued on the cartoon playing on the plasma TV screen. The cat was perched on his favorite armchair without a care in the world. She then turned to the officer with an inquisitive brow, "yes?"

Somberly, the officer continued his rehearsed dialogue, "Mrs. Pope, I have some disturbing news. At approximately 7:30 this morning Derek Smith's body was found in his bedroom, presumably a drug overdose although we need to wait until the autopsy for confirmation."

The crease between her eye brows deepened. Her gaze shifted to her grandson then back to the police officer and whispered, "Derek is dead?"

"I'm afraid so." Officer Johnson replied matching her tone.

She stepped further away from the door, allowing the officer to step through the threshold. Then, she once again furtively gazed back at Adam making sure he was still absorbed in the morning's cartoons, wanting to shield him from this, "But how did this happen?" she questioned still in disbelief, barely above a whisper, twisting the kitchen towel in her hand into knots.

Officer Johnson continued speaking in a low tone, "He was found dead early this morning when we received a call from his mother in Indiana claiming her son hadn't returned her calls for days.

Evelyn Pope shook her head repeatedly, "oh, Lord," she mumbled.

"He'd been dead for at least a week."

"Oh, my God, " Evelyn gasped at this new piece of information, threw the towel on the side table behind her and covered her mouth with her hands.

"We need for your daughter to come down for identification since she's the next of kin in town."

Evelyn whispered, "My daughter is on vacation in Mexico, she won't be back until Sunday. ...did you say he's been dead a week?"

The officer nodded and Evelyn considered the implications. Two days ago, Wednesday, Derek had failed to pick up Adam for his regularly scheduled visitation overnight stay. No wonder…

"When is she coming back? I'm going to need your daughter to come down to the coroner's office to identify the body as soon as possible." He shrugged, "common procedure."

Olivia's mother thought about this long and hard so long that in fact the officer was already giving her impatient looks. Her mind couldn't help but flash back to the day nearly two years ago when she herself had called the police on account of Derek under very different circumstances. Back then, she'd been visiting her daughter when Derek—after being just served with divorce papers- had barged in the door acting like a madman. She shuddered at the memory of Adam's terrified cries which at the time had made something inside her twist and cramp. Both Olivia and she had feared the worst; they'd feared he'd snapped and would make good on his threats of kidnapping Adam if Olivia didn't relent to his demands to drop the divorce proceedings and work things out. He'd made his demands while holding the poor child in his arms and refusing to let Olivia try to console him. Luckily, Evelyn had snuck out and called the police when all of this was taking place and the whole ugly episode had ended with the police seizing custody of Adam on behalf of social services since neither parent wanted to relinquish the child to the other parent.

Perhaps, the worst of all had been being separated from Adam –who was later placed in foster care- for three days while they got a judge to review the case and award what its known as 'temporary custody' to Olivia pending the final custody hearing.

Evelyn couldn't bring herself to tell her daughter about Derek just yet, the man had literally put her through hell on earth as he'd managed to convince everyone that he was just a concerned and loving father and that his actions that day had been the result of temporary stress. She couldn't believe how even now after his death he still had the power to take away her peace of mind.

And while Evelyn had nothing against Derek, (in fact she was praying for his soul at this very moment). The man had caused enough damage already. Furthermore, nothing could possibly be gained by cutting her daughter's vacation short ; Lord knows how long it took her to convince her she needed to get away to renew her mind, body and soul. But knowing Olivia, she would take the first flight back and handle things, including breaking the news to Adam.

Perhaps, there was something she could do, she thought, feeling a little better. Perhaps, she could be the one identifying the body instead of Olivia. Yes, she could do that. This is the least she could do for her daughter who had already suffered much emotional abuse from that poor excuse of a man.

"Officer, I can identify the body," Evelyn said resolutely.

"I'm sorry," Officer Johnson replied with a calculated shrug, "it's gotta be the next of kin."

 **A/N:**

Those of you that asked for a fast paced story, let me know what you think about this chapter in terms of pacing. If you liked it, I will try my best to keep it at the same pace in future chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the late update. I'm late on updates for all my fics, crazy back to school week has been busier than I anticipated!

To the guest reviewers that commented on the taxi drive from last chapter: Just wanted to say that in this fic, just assume that Fitz would take care of all security related business even if I don't specifically state it. He wouldn't just get in some random taxi without any precautions, the drivers were employed by the travel agency and they were cleared. Furthermore, the cab driver was an honest man and Fitz was able to see that right away when the man gave them a choice of which route to take back to Cancun, any other driver would have just taken them on the longest ride and make more money on the taximeter.

All other reviewers: Your questions will be answered in this chapter.

* * *

Ypsilanti, Michigan. Mid morning.

Officer Johnson braced himself. It was his first day on the job and he hated letting his boss down; the bottom line was that he'd failed to bring Olivia Smith or Pope or whatever the woman in question called herself.

"What the heck? Where is she? I thought I told you not to come back here unless you had Olivia Smith with you. "said chief Springfield leaning forward on his swivel chair.

"She's on some kind of vacation…"

Springfield leaned forward on his desk, put the stub of his black cigar in the astray and sneered as though the word _'vacation'_ was a dirty word, "Vacation? Where?" He'd been wanting to take a vacation for years, but it was not happening any time soon. No siree!The last thing he wanted was a reminder of how badly his life really sucked.

Johnson shrugged one shoulder, he'd really tried to do what his boss demanded and even told the old lady something about the next of kin but it had been no use, the woman in question was actually out of the country. "Mexico, I think."

Aw, Mexico. Well, at least that wasn't half way across the world.

Springfield shoved his chair closer to his desk, he made some notes and shuffled them aside until his desk was a clutter of frayed papers and turned up corners.

Up to this point, he was just getting acquainted with the case of Derek Smith. There was the matter of his death, so far ruled an accidental drug overdose. And then there was the matter of him profiting from the sale of diluted pharmaceuticals. Foul play could not be completely ruled out until it was confirmed that Smith had acted alone; although everything pointed to him being the lone ranger.

He frowned, trying to puzzle this one out. They'd already frozen all the assets and there was no sign of the million dollars he pocketed, and if anybody new where he'd hidden the money it had to be the ex-wife. First thing this morning he'd interviewed the girlfriend, a Barbie girl crackpot who obviously didn't get the missing boyfriend memo and was still living _la vida loca_ and whom he was more than happy to cross of the list. Anyhow, if Smith had any sense in him, he would have hidden the money he embezzled in an overseas account or invested it in some kind of money laundering scheme and given the account number to his wife (ex-wife, whatever, who cares) and mother of his only child in case anything happened to him.

Oh, yes… _Wait till the feds got hold of this,_ he grimaced, rolling his eyes heavenward. His jurisdiction over the case would officially end. Diluting the strength of pharmaceuticals, tampering with chemotherapy drugs was illegal and carried a federal penalty. Had the poor SOB lived, he would have faced at least 30 years in prison and been the defendant in hundreds of lawsuits for fraud and wrongful deaths.

He glanced up from his papers and frowned as if suddenly remembering that Johnson was there. "Do we have a positive ID on the body?"

"Yes, sir. This morning Evelyn Pope mother of Olivia Smith identified the body of Derek Smith." He said proudly, thinking that at least, he'd been able to do something right.

"Good," Springfield sneered, the other man's formal tone irritated him. It was his first day on the job but he didn't have to look like a terrified kindergartner. "Now, don't stand there and get me the ex-wife's phone number."

Johnson just stood there like a deer caught in the car headlights.

"Don't tell me you don't got her cell phone number?" He raised his voice exasperated. "I still need her to come in for an interrogation.

"Sorry, sir. Just the home number. I didn't think it was necessary. Her mother said she would call her…"

"Oh, yes," Springfield replied disdainfully, "you didn't think…that may be the problem," he added tapping his temple with his fist, he shoulda known better than to send a newbie. He signed exasperated, dismissing the officer with a wave of the hand. And with that he went back to his papers. He was gonna have to contact Evelyn Pope himself.

He picked up one of the files and his eyes instantly narrowed his lips moving as he re-read some of the words. It had all started two years ago when a sales representative for the pharmaceutical company that produced the cancers drug Taxol and Gezmar noticed a discrepancy between the amount of drug Smith bought and the amount he sold. She conducted an internal investigation that found no evidence of tampering. Two years later, the sales representative mentioned the matter to a nurse that worked for an oncologist who was one of Smith's clients. The oncologist wasted no time having the drugs supplied by Smith tested and immediately notified the authorities. And then surprise surprise! Perfect timing: the oncologist mysteriously disappeared and smith is found dead in his apartment. Coincidentally, they also happened to receive an out-of -state call around the same time from Smith's mother stating that she was worried about her son who had not returned any of her calls in days and she was bedbound or had severe peanut allergies and could not travel…or something like that.

XXX

Cancun, Mexico, mid morning.

Olivia opened the door to find Fitz standing outside her room sporting a five o'clock shadow, his hand raised as if to knock on the door. Upon seeing her, he stopped and smiled that same exhilarating smile that made her weak in the knees.

I' m sorry, baby...I missed your text message last night, I must have fallen asleep."

She took his hand and pulled him inside, letting the door slam shut and threw her arms around him. Fitz hugged her tight, burying his face in her hair. He had dreamed of such a greeting all night long; her hair and neck smelled as good as he imagined.

"I promise I'll be good from now on," he said in a light-hearted tone pulling back just enough to peer down at her face.

"Well…ok…As long as you don't become my sugar daddy on a regular basis," she said with a smirk, looking into his eyes.

"Don't worry, sweet baby…." He smirked back at her audacious remark. "I'm much too young for that…

She rolled her eyes playfully. And then in the next breath, something changed. Her face grew suddenly serious.

"I missed this…" She traced his lips with her finger, "I missed us."

"I missed us too." He replied with a sweet look in his eyes. "Olivia… you're everything I've ever wanted," he added with the most amazing pensive expression.

Surprised at his candid comment, Olivia drew in a breath. At a loss for words, she leaned in a little and so did he, their lips meeting his lips in a loving and gentle kiss that rapidly turned passionate and demanding, making her moan and weak in the knees. She felt a soft wetness starting to spread through her core and she marveled at how one touch from this man could turn her into a quivering mess.

And then, he lifted her off the ground just as she linked her arms around his neck and carried her inside to the bedroom. In his arms, she felt perfect and clung to him resting her head at the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. He stopped when a few steps away from the king sized bed and lowered her onto the floor.

They stood peering at each other and she pulled him close, needing continuous contact with his body. He brought his mouth down on hers exploring her hungrily and started undressing her slowly in between kisses, still leaving her clad in her panties and running his mouth along her shoulders and arms. She moaned, feeling faint with desire. Yet somehow, she managed to undress him as fast as she could, delighting in his smooth skin, strong thighs and hardened chest.

She was breathless long before they tumbled into bed together. Even though she loved that he was controlling the pace but was also eager to feel him inside her. And he was driving her insane as he was taking his own sweet time as his fingers played around her opening, teasing, almost making their way, lingering around the entrance and then retreating. She gasped anticipating the removal of the last barrier between them and the thrill of release.

Before she knew it, he had slipped a finger underneath the silky fabric and began stroking her and rubbing her clitoris, losing himself in the sensations. She was so incredibly wet, his mind went blank.

God, there's so much I want to do to you, "he murmured as his nose nuzzles along her lower abdomen, stopping for a second to kiss her tattoo, waves of his hair briefly tickling her stomach. Then, squeezing her calves, his hands slid up her legs and push her thighs far, far apart. Running his nose farther down and stopping over her sensitive bundle of nerves, he inhaled deeply. "You smell so good. Wet and ready for me," he made her squirm in anticipation by nuzzling his nose and planting a soft kiss over her bundle of nerves.

Fitz yanked off her panties at the last possible moment and when she least expected. He let out a low breathy groan as he dipped his finger between her slick lips, so nice and smooth. "hmm…so wet. "

She squeezed the quilt between her fingers, watched him slip two fingers deep inside her. "Ah… God," She began to thrust against his finger, needing more.

"You're so damn tight." His hot breath whispered against her sensitive nerves making her gasp and grab his hair. Holding his head between her legs, she felt as though she was on fire and only his tongue could bring her relief. Good heavens! The way he alternated between sucking and licking—fast and hard, soft and long—while slowly moving his fingers in and out made her want to scream so loud. And she did, as the wall of tension waiting to explode got bigger by the second.

"I'm gonna come so hard," Olivia said in a voice so brash and wanton she didn't recognize. It couldn't possibly be hers. Was there a sex goddess in the room with them?

Fitz moaned which sent delicious vibrations through his lips.

Olivia's body is nothing but sensation and greedy lust, striving and pulsing for release, "God, Fitz!"

"You're almost there, baby." He could see her trying to get there but needed that extra push.

He pulled back and started stroking himself. The sight of him was so goddamn beautiful, she reaches for him, "let me, I want you in my mouth."

He turned their bodies around so that now they're in position sixty nine. "I hope you're okay with this, you taste like heaven and I'm not stopping till you come."

Before Olivia had the chance to answer, Fitz dove back between her legs, pushing his tantalizing tongue deep inside her. Her cries and moans filled the room. Once again, she became convinced that those sounds couldn't possibly be coming from her, she's never made such sounds during sex, ever. "Oh, God, it's so good," she whimpered, taking his manhood into both her hands and then running her lips down his shaft. Then, she took entire length of him inside her mouth and continued pumping him making him groan several times.

"Show me what you like," he murmured breathlessly.

"I love everything, everything…"

His tongue started circling her opening and kept on going _everywhere_ ….

She clenched a little. "Relax, baby," he kissed his way back to her bundle of nerves and in response, she sucked him deep into her mouth trying to take his entire length but failing; he was so big, hitting the back of her throat. She pulled back and delved again, sucking and flicking her tongue.

He released a hiss of air and pulled her tighter against his mouth, relentlessly sucking her clit. Heat started to expand like a raging inferno inside of her, urging her body to thrust and rock against him. She was now on fire and takes him in and out of her mouth at the same frantic pace. She was sooo darn close now, she sucked harder and faster as her orgasm builds and builds….

Unable to keep up, she took a break. "Oh, God, Oh, Fitz, I'm…" she exploded crying out and throwing her head back, eyes shut tight. Her insides throbbed and gripped as her thighs naturally locked around his face. He drew out her pleasure by pumping his fingers in and out of her.

A moment later, she opened her eyes to find herself underneath him, his weight resting on his forearms, and the head of his cock nestled there against her opening, driving her mad.

"My God, Livvie, you're perfect," he locked eyes with her, "I've never needed a woman this much, and I never will."

"Oh, Fitz…I need to feel you… all the way inside," she demanded breathlessly.

He gave her a small smile and kissed her lips tenderly right before thrusting into her in one hard thrust. She moaned deeply satisfied as he stretches and fills her in all the right places, and then gasped as a powerful orgasm crashed through her body making her cry out his name. Fitz thrust into her harder and harder and her orgasm continued. She was positive she'd never felt anything like it.

"Yes, oh, Livvie," he groaned. He was losing control and she loved every second of it; the primal slap of their bodies coming together echoing all around them. Soon his movements became more erratic. With a roar, he exploded inside her body and it was the most fantastic sensation. She cried out in joy, she didn't want it to ever end, and as the last ripples of her orgasm began to fade, she sought his lips.

"That was incredible," she mumbled against his lips with him still nestled inside of her.

"Yeah," he grunted rolling onto his pillow beside her.

She ran her fingers along his jaw, enjoying the feel of his one day stubble. She was surprised at how much she liked the fact that he hadn't shaved . Everything about him that moment was so masculine-bold and confident; it made it nearly impossible for a woman not to lose herself around him. And those eyes of his…they were so piercing and honest. She had to admit, she had fallen hard for this man. And it wasn't just the romancing, charisma, and sculpted face that drew her in. It was much deeper than that.

So much deeper.

It was as if God pulled out his pencil and sat down to write her a one of a kind heartwarming fairy tale romance, the kind that stays with you long after you finished reading and changes how you view the world.

He wrapped his arms around her and she nuzzled the sensitive spot on his neck and inhaled his scent and then settled her head on his chest.

"Tell me about you as a kid," she prompted, "Were you Dennis the Menace or nice and compliant?"

"How about somewhere in between? He smirked. Average?"

She pulled back and let her eyes travel down his naked body, "somehow, you don't strike me as average anything in any department," and her cheeks warmed at the implication. She couldn't believe she' d just said that!

"Thanks, love," he smirked again and she found that smirk infectious. " That's just about the nicest compliment any woman has ever paid me," he said cryptically.

"Ah, flattery.. ." She murmured against his chest , "I would have you continue, but you still haven't told me anything about you as a kid, she reiterated.

"Believe it or not, I was your average kid..." He paused, his smile fading, lost in the memories, "I loved solving puzzles, I got into cryptology when I was nine." He paused for effect. Olivia shifted so that she could lay with her body parallel to his, her arms propped against his stellar six pack abs, and with her head lying on her hands so she could look up at him.

"Cryptology is mainly the constructing and analyzing of protocols so that messages and information remain secure. In our information age, cryptology can be used for espionage which is why some governments across the globe limit or even prohibited its use."

"Ah, so you started young…"

He smiled faintly at that, "you know the cryptex you gave me?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "You're not going to believe this…but I got one exactly like this one back home.

"Wow..Really?"

"Yeah. My mother gave it to me for my birthday the year she passed away.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Olivia was sure he hadn't mentioned anything about his mother being dead.

" Fitz...I

" It' s okay, baby. Don't feel bad. That was a long time ago." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He shifted and pulled her closer and she snuggled up to him with a small sigh, "have you heard of the actress Mia Farrow?"

"Yeah..."

" My mom was also an actress and her stage name was also Farrow, " he said with a small smile. She started off with as a fashion model, she never made it to the big screen. She played a role in _All My Children_ for three years _._ One day, she walked into my dad' s office looking for a bodyguard, one of her fans had been stalking her. My father had just started Allstate Services which at the time had a different name. He became her personal bodyguard. In the beginning, they both tried to keep their distance and not get romantically involved. But they couldn't help falling in love and the rest is history.

"How romantic," she sighed softly, running her fingers over his chest and tracing little circles around his nipples. "Were you their first child?"

"I was…" he murmured. "Actually, I was their only child. My father later re-married and had Daniel." He then changed the subject, "Hey…I don't know about you, but I'm starved!"

Later...

They ordered room service and had a hearty brunch.

"My treat, he said, for making us miss the tour this morning."

"I should take responsibility for my half," she said. "We both slept in," she added before taking a bite of her eggs.

"Were you like this as a kid?" he chuckled, "cos that would have been kinda of cute." They both shared a smile that spread into a wide grin, "I was the opposite…trust me, I was never the one to break the flower base or stick his hands in the cookie jar."

"Okay, love, I'm off to the salon," she announced after they both had their fill.

"Oh, pooh," he smirked, "what am I gonna do for hours at a time without you?"

"Whatever it is you did before you met me," she smirked back, giving him a peck on the lips. She collecting her clothing scattered about, got dressed, checked her self in the mirror and re-applied some lipstick. Minutes later, she was out the door.

XXX

Olivia came back from the salon mid afternoon in a relaxed mood and properly caffeinated. Fitz had spent the afternoon properly Wi-Fi'ed, she discovered.

"You look gorgeous," he whistled, admiring her hair _and_ her figure.

Olivia beamed. She'd had the ends trimmed and what a difference it made in this humidity. Her curls now looked bouncy and shiny as though it got a new lease on life.

"Guess what I did with my time...

She locked her arms around his shoulders. " Okay, let me guess...hmm… you went surfing?

"I booked a late evening sea turtle tour. I know what you're thinking... but you know it' s technically my turn since you were the one who booked the tour we missed this morning. "

 _Hmm,_ Olivia mused, pretty soon she was going to start losing track of whose turn it was. "Dinner is on me!" She called out heading for the closet, considering what she was going to wear tonight.

"No arguments here," he called back.

XXX

And so tonight they would be heading for the beach to watch the nesting giant sea turtles, and then having a late dinner at the hotel. Olivia dressed in the best thing she'd packed in her suitcase: a cream colored cocktail dress with a V neckline which showed a good amount of cleavage without hinting too much. The dress was casual enough for a stroll around the beach and at the same time, classy enough for going out to dinner. Around her neck she wore a single strand of pink pearls and on her feet, a pair of spiky black heels. And she pulled her hair back into a tight bun to keep it neat and off her face when they were out in the ocean breeze. Fitz wore a short sleeved dress shirt and a pair of dressy trousers. He' d combed his hair straight back right out of the shower but it kept falling forward as he moved giving him a boyish look.

"You know what, I think we got about half an hour to spare…" he said rather suggestively.

She gave him a knowing look. Right then her mobile rang.

Who is it?" Fitz asked. "Don't answer it," he advised in his next breath.

But Olivia fished it out of her purse, the ringing pulling her like a magnet. "It's my mother," she muttered wanting to hear the sweet sound of Adam's voice. "I need to take this."

Fitz shrugged in a mock defeated gesture, kicked off his shoes and climbed in bed, his back cushioned with pillows resting high against the headboard.

"It'll be just a minute," she whispered just before she answered, "Hi, mom. Yeah, everything's great. How are you? Adam's been good?"

Olivia turned at that moment and made eye contact with Fitz who was watching her intently with a dreamy look on his face. Then, in a flash of inspiration, she took off her sandals, hiked up her dress and slowly climbed in bed, inching up to him (with the phone cradled to her ear) She sat up beside him and he quickly fluffed a couple of pillows against the headboard so she could lean back in comfort.

"Hi, sweetheart, miss you so much," Olivia cooed into the receiver. "Yes, yes. Wow. That's cool. Okay, I wanna hear you sing it." She was quiet for a little while and then chuckled.

With his arms folded under his head and propped up by pillows, Fitz watched her as she spoke to her little boy in a happy, loving voice. Then, he heard her ask the boy to get grandma back on the phone. At this point, he leaned to kiss the top of her head and she shifted so that he ended up putting his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder. She loved the way his arms wrapped around her; it was so natural, like it was meant to be.

"Mom…yeah, that's good. Guess what," she paused, glancing back at Fitz, smiling. "I met someone." She then laughed at something her mother said. "Yeah, he's tall and handsome. Smart, funny, personable. Yeah, we went to the pyramids together…it was wonderful. " Olivia laughed at something her mother said. She shot him a playful look, covered the receiver and whispered," she just asked me if you're a keeper. And then before Fitz could respond, she said, "Yeah, I think so. He's a keeper."

With a growl of approval Fitz dove for her neck. Olivia shuddered as his lips, teeth and tongue dance along her skin. She closed her eyes, and despite her resolution to remain clear headed, she couldn't formulate complete sentences after that and her responses were limited to a series of 'ughs' and other interjections.

At last, she found her voice long enough to end the call," Okay, mom…we'll talk tomorrow…we gotta go. We're going on a tour… I'll tell you all about it later. Okay, love you too."

Olivia pulled the phone away from her ear and Fitz seamlessly retrieved it from her hand and pressed the 'end' button to finish the call so he could concentrate on nibbling her cute earlobes before trailing kisses down her jaw and down her neck….

"Hmm…Fitz…" she sighed, she was enjoying this so much, but they needed to talk. And there was also dinner…and their scheduled tour of Akumal beach later in the evening (they had missed a field trip already). Most reluctantly, she sprung off the bed and stood in front of the mirror behind the dresser in order to run a brush through her hair and fasten a pair of pearl drop earrings.

"Okay…so what did she say?" he peered at her expectantly through the mirror.

"About me meeting you?" he nodded almost imperceptibly. "Well, first of all, she started chanting a series of hallelujahs," she smirked.

He gave her an incredulous look.

"Just kidding!" she laughed. "Well, okay…she actually squealed, can you believe that? And said she'd been saving clippings from wedding magazines and wanted to start going over color schemes.

For the first time ever, Fitz looked absolutely stumped; he certainly hadn't expected that and for the first time couldn't formulate a clever come-back response. "Is that so?"

Olivia flung her head back in laughter. "You look about as thrilled as the last guy I dragged to the opera on super bowl Sunday." she teased.

Fitz joined in her laughter. It felt wonderful to laugh. Energy shot through his system making him feel more alive. For a few moments, he let himself hold on to the drunken, happy feeling and then brought himself back to normal seconds later.

"Boy," he said with a mock expression of relief. "I can't tell you how relieved I am…and here I was thinking I would have to drag you kicking and screaming down the aisle." He retorted.

She turned to give him a long playful look, "It seems to me that I should be the one saying that, that's my prerogative as a woman," she good-naturedly huffed.

"I speak for us both then, there won't be any kicking and screaming…" he smirked settling back on the pillows, arms folded behind his head. "As a matter of fact, wild horses couldn't keep me away from you when we finally say our "I do's."

It took all her willpower not to laugh at the vivid image he had painted; of wild horses, a reluctant bride and a wedding ceremony. She bit her lip and looked at him with glee in her eyes. It was then that she burst out laughing, letting herself flop down on the mattress facing the ceiling, her entire body shaking with laughter. Once again he joined in her laughter and marveled at how was it possible for them to be so comfortable around each other, shedding tears of joy, and solidifying their bond. Remarkably, they were also talking marriage this early into their relationship, no hang-ups, no inhibitions.

"Okay, okay…seriously, though." She drew in a breath forcing herself to calm down, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Okay, I'm all ears."

"Soon we'll have to go back home," she said with a heavy heart, "and then… when will we see each other again?"

He thought about her question; they would be leading separate lives in separate states. The realization unsettled him.

"I don't know when," He leaned in closer and stroked her cheek. The expression on his face had lost some of its playful edge and turned warm and intimate. "All I know is that I will come up and see you every chance I get. That, I promise you, Liv."

"Good," she smiled rather ruefully, "Cos' I hate saying good-bye."

"So do I," he pecked her lips. "In fact, let's not ever say good-bye, okay? With us, it always be a 'see you later'. That's how I want it to be between us."

XXX

Ypsilanti, Michigan.

After ending the call with Olivia, Evelyn released the tension she'd been holding and plopped herself on the nearest chair. My goodness, she'd nearly told Olivia about Derek which would have certainly put a damper on her new relationship. With a heavy heart, she picked up the receiver once again. Her next call was not an easy one to make. She'd met Derek's mother maybe half a dozen times in all the time her daughter had been married to her son but they were never close. Still, her heart went out to her nonetheless; she couldn't imagine anything worse than losing a child.

With a deep sigh, she dialed the woman's number and waited. Where could she be? The woman had severe nut allergies and as far as she knew, she was housebound. The call went directly to voice mail.

XXX

Akumal beach, Mexico, early evening.

There was nothing as black as the ocean at night. It was blacker than the shadows their bodies cast as they walked together barefoot, hand in hand along the sand on a star less night. They picked up the pace and got caught up with the group of about fifteen people that had gathered to watch the nesting sea turtles. Akumal was home to the most pristine beaches with crystal clear waters. There were untouched natural areas where hundreds of turtles stay during the months of May, June and July.

"Over here," some one called flashing a giant flashlight and everyone gathered around a giant nesting sea turtle known as the loggerhead as it had a big head.

Everyone gasped as they spotted the eggs which were the size of ping pong balls and with a soft shell. There are around 110 eggs in a nest but not every egg would hatch.

Fitz and Olivia were surprised to learn that only one in one thousand sea turtles will survive to adulthood. They face many obstacles to their survival in nature yet humans are the greatest threaten the survival of these creatures has been; for the last 100 years, the demand for turtle meat, eggs, skin and colorful shells has greatly reduced their populations.

Fitz pondered on all this while he watched the turtle lay her eggs and promised himself to look more into what he could do to help in the conservation of sea turtles, even if only through educational programs and by establishing a monetary fund to aid in maintaining nesting areas undisturbed . These beautiful creatures needed protection and if they became extinct both coastal and marine ecosystems would be negatively affected. Sea turtles were valuable creatures; they helped maintain the health of the ecosystem by consuming sea grass which needs to be cut short like lawn grass in order to provide the necessary nutrients to many species of fish and shellfish.

Olivia watched in awe the turtle nest and felt in her heart the kindness emanating from the creature and knew she was one with nature. She had always felt a great connection to the animal kingdom and to creatures of the sea in particular. As she looked out into the darkness of the sea, the greatest animal habitat on earth, her mind flashed to her first encounter with ocean many years ago when she was just a preteen. Watching a ship being swallowed in the apparent nothingness, she realized back then that there was more to vastness of the ocean than its sparkling shade of blue.

Later that evening upon their return to the Hyatt Zylara, Fitz and Olivia had a romantic dinner at private gazebo by the pool under the stars.

The only thing that would have been more perfect was if she'd allowed him to take care of dinner and treat her like a queen, place her atop that pedestal where she deserved to be. More than anything he wanted to spoil her, share with her his good fortune. He suspected though that she was going to continue to stick to her principles and make it hard for him. Ironically, the more she resisted, the more determined he became to wanting to treat her like the queen of his heart.

Their four course meal started with a _Fruits of love salad_ , _Princess cream soup, Patron's filet_ and _exotic fruit parfait_ with _hibiscus flower coulis_.

Fitz lifted his glass and toasted, "To Liv…Your wish is my command, always," he winked at her feeling particularly romantic.

Olivia completed the toast with some words of her own (at this point she'd lost track of whose turn it really was anyway), "to Fitz…thank you for such a beautiful day…for such a wonderful week, actually. Every day has been a joy, I have enjoyed your company so much, "she glowed, smiling over her glass, "thank you for making this the best vacation I've ever had."

"Ditto," He murmured and they clinked glasses and sipped their champagne.

The magic of the moment intensified as the sound of a mariachi ballad started humming in the background. The music started getting louder with each passing second and Olivia scanned her surroundings just as a Mariachi quartet appeared from the shadows on a terrace just below them overlooking the pool.

"May I have this dance?" Fitz gallantly asked and she let out a tiny squeal.

A slightly inebriated Olivia, eager to slow dance, wrapped her arms around her man, holding him close. Soon they were slow dancing, moving together effortlessly over the dance floor. He pulled back a little and noticed the light of the moon bathing her face making her inner radiance shine through. He leaned forward and kissed her lips ever so tenderly, hoping that the magic and the mystery of it all would last forever.

 **A/N:**

What's new? I started a new fic which means updates for this one may not be all that timely but I will continue to update as often as I can. Please, stay tuned, I have great plans for this one.

Please keep on reviewing, thanks so much for your awesome support and have a great week,


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**

 _Reader575, Scandalbrenda5, Venica23, AHLOVE, Kelleekellkell, Marie 7809402:_ thanks for giving my muse a wake up call during the hiatus and also, thanks to everyone who has followed this story here and on Twitter. I know, it's been a while. There' s scene I was having trouble with and the only way I could get past it was to leave it for the next chapter. Once I decided to do that, this chapter started flowing and I just went with it. It doesn't advance the plot much though but it sure paves the way.

I might have to come back later and edit some more.

* * *

From the king sized bed in the presidential suite, they watched the sun rise, enjoying the best unobstructed view of the ocean through the floor to ceiling sliding glass doors that led to the balcony. After that, they cat napped in each other's arms until a little after nine.

Today was their last day in Cancun; their flight back to the States was scheduled for 10 am the following day. Fitz had re-arranged his schedule so they could both leave together on the same flight. What Olivia didn't know was that Cancun had been a pit stop for Fitz. His original travel plans-before meeting her that is, had included visiting several Caribbean islands. At the time, he' d been on a quest to find the ideal island getaway which offered both privacy and as many modern conveniences as possible. In his line of work as a security advisor for businesses, homes and individuals, he often met with wealthy clients and celebrities who were often desperate to escape from the paparazzi and crazed fans for at least a few months out of the year. His plans changed as soon as he laid eyes on Olivia. And now, a week later, he was thinking this had been one of the best decisions of his life. He couldn't think of a better way to spend the rest of his impromptu vacation.

And so this morning, after enjoying a magnificent room service meal (it was his turn to take care of the bill), he was happy to relax in bed next to Olivia, determined to enjoy life to the fullest and not worry about tomorrow. And he couldn't think of a better way to indulge than by ordering an ice cream sundae covered in a layer of solid Hershey's milk chocolate. Even though he was on a restricted diet for his hypertension issues, a little indulgence every now and then was still allowed. Olivia on the other hand, had decided to skip dessert altogether after concluding that –to use her own words- she needed to watch her figure or else make up for it with triple time at the gym . Although once his dessert arrived ten minutes later, she'd added a disclaimer: she MIGHT just enjoy a bite or two of HIS ice cream sundae _later_.

Fitz let out a chuckle. _Later?_ Pretty soon there would be nothing left but a faint memory, he thought as he secured the tray onto his lap and eased back comfortably against and army of pillows against the headboard. Why do women do this? They insist on skipping dessert but then when a guy is about to enjoy his treat, they end up digging in with their extra fork or spoon.

"Check this out, there is an actual book titled _Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies_! Olivia chuckled while browsing the net on her Galaxy Note 7 (no worries, Samsung issued her a replacement for the recalled phone), trying her best to distract herself from temptation.

Fitz loaded his spoon with luscious ice cream, mixed to perfection with chunks of chocolate and a happy smile ran around his face as he swallowed. "Just read it to me, baby… ice cream is gonna melt, " he replied with boyish charm knowing full well that she was eying his ice cream out of the corner of her eye with unmasked greed.

"Yep, Okay, listen to this," she said after downloading a preview of the book, "Listen…the title of this piece is: If you're ever in trouble in Mexico, pay a bribe. But then later on, it says that this is nothing but an outdated myth. In fact, nowadays, there are severe penalties for both police officers that demand bribes and civilians who offer them. So, the best course of action for tourists is to act politely and just SEE what the problem is." She paused to glance at him, "I'm not kidding, it actually says that, 'see what the problem is'. She put down her mobile device and went on in a lively voice, "can you imagine? We need this book to tell us that if there is a problem or we encounter any trouble here in Mexico, all we need to do is _just go see what the problem is?"_

His entire face beamed as he took another bite, "Mmm…" he mumbled as he swirled the taste around, closing his eyes. He waited until he finished before speaking, " really?"

Her eyes followed the spoon to his mouth and back again.

"Yep. I'm not kidding you," she said, this time purposely avoiding looking at him and the coveted treat.

"That's all we need then? " He said sarcastically, smiling, "So that's what is! some of us just aren't looking at the problem long enough to solve it."

"Apparently," she mumbled, looking out into the horizon. Darn it! Her thoughts came circling back to the way his body moved (no matter what her thoughts were, they always circled back to him) AND how much she LOVED Hershey's.

Fitz let out a chuckle as he took another bite of his ice cream with a big chunk of milk chocolate on top, closing his eyes and savoring every mouthful.

"Baby, you want some?"

"No… no. Later," she promptly replied, eyes back to the screen."just leave the last bite for me, okay?" she added watching him enjoy the heavenly delight out of the corner of her eye. He's doing this on purpose, she thought. He was taunting her!

However, it wasn't until Fitz devoured most of his dessert that she finally protested.

"Hey, I can't believe it's nearly gone." she whined.

"I thought you meant what you said," he smirked. "You said to leave you the last bite." He shook his head for emphasis with a cocky smile, "but you didn't really mean that, did you?" He chuckled when Olivia replied with a pouty face.

Much to her dismay, she watched him scooped the second to last of the ice cream and put it in his mouth . This time he opened his mouth some and showed her the chocolate, inviting her to take it. She quickly took a generous chunk of chocolate from the tip of his tongue. They both smiled as she chewed.

He then handed her the spoon and she took the very last mouthful. Hmm.

Then most unexpectedly, she opened her mouth just so and moved to show him a big chunk of chocolate crust, and moved it to the tip of her tongue. He promptly moved in to claim his reward and she retracted the chocolate further into her mouth. He pressed forward, his lips on hers. They were cold, wet and extraordinarily sweet. His tongue went in search of the chocolate that was a little bit melted. While his tongue explored, she put pressure on his lips and then backed away with chocolate on her lips.

They licked each other's lips and Olivia nibbled a piece of sweetness off his lips. All of a sudden, she just stopped and looked at him. They were looking into each other's eyes but seeing much deeper; they were making a connection that went beyond skin deep.

Fitz picked up the tray with the ice cream and set it hastily on the floor.

When they kissed again, she delved her fingers into the long waves of his hair and she put everything she had into that kiss and was rewarded by the intensity of his response. He joined her in her tentative teasing, nibbling and their tongues intertwined in a private ritual of ecstasy. This kiss was quickly luring them into a deeper connection, a more complete union.

Soon, they were both completely naked, their bodies fit and slender hot and panting. She was draped over him like a warm blanket. Gripping her hips, he drove up into her, making sure to hit her clit with every stroke. He felt drowned in her, swallowed by her They rocked together in a perfect union as she rode them closer to the release they both craved. It went on and on, their bodies burning with pleasure. There was no time or space, only their bodies locked together filled with pleasure that was so strong, so unbearable they were in awe of what they had created. She gripped his arms and he glanced down, wanting to see where their bodies joined, and how his body filled hers. He started moving slower and she recognized his desire to prolong and to savor the moment. She tried to make him go faster regardless. He rolled them over, putting her under him. His weight on her felt just right and she began to tremble; there was a deep ache that demanded to be filled.

"Livvie, oh, God, say your mine."

"Yes, yes…yours…I'm yours," she mumbled breathlessly.

And then he finally hastened his thrusts, she squeezed him from deep within.

They continued to rock together chasing the wave, swallowing each other cries with their kisses as she rode him closer and closer. He felt the moment her orgasm. She tightened around him and her eyes went wide, completely exposed. He loved watching her expression, so wild and carefree, looking at her face and feeling her come apart was all he need for his own release.

 **xxx**

On the beach later that day

Fitz and Olivia stayed in the resort for the rest of the day. Late in the afternoon, they walked barefoot along the water's edge, holding hands. He was clad in dark blue swimming trunks and a T-shirt, and she was dressed in a long flowy summer dress. They stopped every few steps to hold each other and savor each other's lips.

The hollowness in the pit of her stomach grew as it grew closer to sunset. She tried to ignore it. She tried to tell herself that the end of their vacation didn't mean the end of their relationship.

A blue heron stood on the shoreline. They both stopped to observe the majestic bird and its antics. The bird stretched its wings, hopped along the shore a bit, and then with a big swoosh of its large wingspan, it swooped up into the air.

"A blue heron," Olivia murmured as the bird flew away into the distance.

Fitz put a hand up to shade the sun from his eyes and follow the trajectory of the giant bird. "They're really magnificent birds, aren't they?"

She agreed and they continued to continued to stroll along the beach as the sunset grew more brilliant each passing minute.

"That's some sunset." Fitz paused staring into the horizon. "Honestly, maybe I don't take the time to look at many sunsets, but this one's got to be on e of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen."

"It's amazing," Olivia said simply.

They stood in silence, side by side, as the sun slid into the horizon and the sky seemed to momentarily burst into flames. It seemed sacrilegious to talk in the presence of such splendor.

The sky darkened and a few stars started to blink in the distance.

"I guess we should be heading back now," Olivia said quietly.

He nodded. This vacation had been magnificent and he hated it seeing it come to an end. Tomorrow morning there would be the rustle and bustle of heading back home. His greatest fear was that once they made it back to the world of separateness and disconnection they were part of, they would somehow lock themselves up again into their own separate worlds and lose their powerful connection to one another.

"Liv, Livvie," he said her name softly like a whisper and she gazed back at him with the most beautiful expression. He drew her closer, he would never, ever tire of looking at her. "I love you." He murmured kissing her lips tenderly and then pressing his forehead against hers. "I love being with you," Common sense had told him to wait until they'd known each other for a while. But then again, another part of him, the one that new their separation was coming near, wanted to make sure she knew how much she meant to him. He didn't want her to go home and to her old life without him, oblivious to how much she meant to him. He didn't know what the future held in store for them; all he knew was that he wanted her to be secure in the knowledge that she wasn't a fling or a vacation romance. She was the ONE he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Her eyes softened. He loved her. The thought hit her and left her utterly speechless.

He knew some may say that it was too soon; after all, he'd only known her a week. But he'd never been more certain of anything in his life.

She saw the determination in his gaze and it took her breath away.

"I know we've only known each other for a week," he started. But I love you. I have never felt this way before about anyone else.

He had expected her to hesitate, but her reaction was better than he could have ever imagined. She embraced him for the longest time and then laughed and cried at the same time. And then, she just stared at him with her big brown orbs as he was perhaps a figment of her imagination.

"I love you too," she finally smiled, drying away her tears. She let out a chuckle. "I don't know why I'm crying. Fitz, you're everything I ever hoped for. I feel this strong connection between us." He pulled her into his arms and she locked her arms around his neck. "But…" she hesitated.

"But what? What is it?"

" I come with a family already made." She said with a rueful smile. "Adam. I want him to get to know you when the timing is right."

"I don't want us to rush into anything either," he reassured her. "But I do want you to know that I'm planning to come and see you two or three times a week."

She gave him a tiny dubious look, seriously?

He gave her his best boyish grin, acknowledging he got a little carried away there. "Okay, okay. You will be seeing me once during the week and again on weekends. I don't care if I spend half the time traveling back on forth. It's worth it to me. You are everything to me," he concluded with emotion, holding her tight.

In his arms, every cell in her body vibrated with an intoxicating tingle at the memory of their lovemaking, in a way she had never experienced before with any one else. And thus, she felt wonderfully inclined to seal the deal with a kiss.

 **xxx**

Ypsilanti, Michigan. Same day.

Even though it was the end of May and so close to summer, it was bitterly cold outside. Evelyn grabbed a parka and mittens for herself and Adam. Their apartment was located in the midst of a complex of interconnecting two story buildings.

After being cooped up inside for most of the day, the four year old boy was excited to finally head outdoors; he flew down the steps to the yard faster than his little legs could carry him with a backpack on his back and a remote control car under his arm.

"Slow down, baby, " Grandma admonished him. "Don't wanna see you fall and get hurt."

In response, Adam slowed down some, stomping loudly and watching the bottom of his shoes light up as he descended down the concrete steps.

As soon as his feet hit the sidewalk, he started running his car through a series of interconnected sidewalks that led to other apartments, to the laundry facilities and to the recreation center. He watched the car race, his eyes bright with excitement.

The parking lot was quite a distance from where they were standing so Evelyn didn't need to worry about losing sight of Adam. Still, as a rule she kept her eyes on him the entire time they were outside.

"What a cute boy," an elderly woman approached them. She lived on the first floor of a neighboring apartment building, and liked to come out and chat with Olivia and Evelyn whenever they brought the boy down to play. Her memory had taken a turn for the worse in the last year and thus, every time she saw Adam it was as though she was meeting him for the first time.

Evelyn smiled proudly, "Thank you for saying that. My grandson is very cute and quite bright I might add." She let out a chuckle. "And he sure loves that Bob the Builder backpack. He has to take it every where he goes," She paused to gaze at him adoringly as he ran behind the car and turned around again back to where the women were standing. "He thinks the backpack makes him more like a big kid." She chuckled.

"My grandbaby screams and cries so loud my daughter took him to the doctor thinkin' he was sick or somethin'. But no, the doctor said he's just got a good set of lungs." The woman let out a laugh. " She can't wait for him to get older. I tell her, he'll be eighteen and in college before you know it. Enjoy him while you can, it all goes too fast."

Evelyn nodded politely although she'd heard this same story already three times this week. The two women continued chatting until the sprinklers came on around them.

Adam's little red remote control car raced past the sprinklers as they sprung to life on either side of the sidewalk. Surprised by the sprinklers, he came to a complete stop but then quickly started running along the path to retrieve his car, backpack swinging on his back, getting himself soaked.

At this point, Adam cried, upset that his backpack got wet. His grandmother swiftly took his hand and guided him away from the sprinklers. When they back at the bottom of the stairs of their building, she took the backpack off the boy's back and held it at arms length.

"Oh, my goodness, it's really soaked!"

Adam pouted, "It's roo-in! (ruined)."

"It's okay, baby. We'll get it nice and dry. It'll be like new. But first, let's go back home and get you warm and toasty. Look at you, you're wet and dripping like a cat left out in the rain!"

"Silly, Grandma, Snoopy doesn't like to get wet!"

Evelyn let out a chuckle, "Silly me, that's why we keep him in the house, " she went on. The next words rolled out with ease, as she'd said them many times before,"Besides, whoever heard of a cat named after a dog?"

"He's a snoopy cat...he loves snooping around in my toy box, that's why snoopy is the per'fect name for him!"

Evelyn chuckled again at the boy's tried and true response.

After getting the young preschooler into warm clothes l and fixing him a hearty lunch, Evelyn gathered a basket of dirty clothes and took Adam down with her to the utility room downstairs. No remote control car this time. It was getting dark and she wanted to get back to the apartment and pack a few things before she came back for the laundry. Time was of the essence today. She had exactly an hour before heading out on interstate 96 to the airport and pickup her daughter.

While she got a load of laundry started, Adam gravitated toward a couple kids a little older than him who were playing _Pokemon Go_ on their mother's I-pad. Then, she grabbed the Bob the Builder backpack and decided to dry it by itself in one of the coin operated dryers. She was unsure of how much heat the backpack could take, and so she turned it inside out and inspected the fabric, checking for tags, tears or fraying fabric. The It seemed like she would need to put it in the dryer for ten minutes and then check and see. It looked fine so she hoped she was doing the right thing by putting it in the dryer.

Right as she was about to hit the start button, (after loading the coins into the slots, of course) one of her closest neighbors came to do her laundry beside her. "It should be alright," the other woman declared. "I put backpacks with vinyl designs in the dryer all the time. Just make sure you clean out all the pockets."

Evelyn once again inspected the backpack, cleaning out the hard to reach interior corners of the backpack that trapped small particles of dirt. When she tried to dig further into the vinyl front pocket (with design of Bob the builder), she found that there was a small slit in the interior vinyl -not visible on the outside- which seemed to have been cut straight with a knife.

Most surprisingly, when she dug her fingers into the gap in the fabric, she discovered that there was an 8x10 sheet of paper folded in equal fourths. Further, as she unfolded the paper, her eyes were instantly drawn to a yellow sticky note that read:

Olivia, save this .

The note was written in eligible cursive handwriting. Evelyn blinked a couple of times, briefly wondered if it was Derek's handwriting. Olivia would know. The interesting thing was that this appeared to be one of Adam's many artistic creations. This didn't sound like Derek (the man wasn't given to sentimentality, God rest his soul). So why would Derek ask Olivia to save this one in particular? She looked at the drawing again and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Oh, well, she would just have to give it to Olivia at her earliest opportunity, she said to herself, folding the paper in fours, and tucking it in her wallet for safekeeping.

At last, she put the backpack in the dryer, loaded the coins properly into the slots and hit the start button.

* * *

 **xxx**

The next day

During most of their flight from Cancun and back to the States, Olivia said very little. She mostly listened to Fitz speak as he smoothly moved through different topics, loving the sound of his voice. One topic that really got her participation was his discussion of re-incarnation. Intrigued, she tried to determine how much he believed in such a thing and how much of it was for her entertainment.

"So in the next life…you might come back as a tiger?' She ventured with a straight face.

"No, no. Not necessarily as a tiger… Think about it. We met in another life, that explains why I feel like I've known you forever," he concluded with charming boyish look.

"Aha..." she rose her brows giving him a hooded look. I knew there was something about you..." her smirk grew wider, okay, then, what were we then... in this other life?

His answer came as a total surprise, "You were a mountain and I was your volcano." He chuckled when he saw her expression. "It all started a very long time ago, at the dawn of creation. " He paused, holding her captive with his words. "Peaks and valleys surged everywhere. Tectonic plates moved, continents split. You and I contributed to this momentous time in history before mankind populated the earth. We provided the resting place for Noah and his family after the flood. Now, of course, many eons later we are ordinary humans. The best part of course is that we meet again," he concluded with a wink.

Olivia giggled.

"You think I'm joking, don't you?" He questioned, pretending to be offended.

She chuckled as she slid her arm under his, rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled into him. Her smile faded as she reminded herself that this would be the last time she got to feel the warmth of his body and his breath against her skin ... for who knows how long?

Half and hour later, she woke up from her short cat nap. The flight attendant brought them lunch and all kinds of goodies as they were the only ones flying first class (Fitz had convinced her to accept this luxury from him). While enjoying their meal, they had a long conversation about social networking sites and how easily hackers can steal sensitive information, she decided to follow his advice, and cancel her Facebook and Twitter accounts (never install any apps that ask your permission to view your files or photos). It was a hard pill to swallow, she only hoped she could convince Quinn to do the same, but she doubted it. Her friend lived for social networking, she was already bemoaning the fact that Olivia had not posted more tweets of herself and Fitz and the places they visited.

 **….**

After landing at DWF international airport and grabbing a quick bite to eat, they sat together alongside the passenger lounge area, holding hands, their bodies angled toward each other. His flight to Los Angeles had a two hour stopover and her flight to Detroit, had a one hour stopover. In spite of the wait, he was glad he'd decided to fly commercial and on the same flight since this allowed him more time with Olivia.

Her voice broke a little, "I hate good-byes," she mumbled and then started fumbling for something in her purse.

He understood at once how hard this was for her and gave her a small handkerchief right out of his shirt pocket.

She was charmed by such a gallant gesture. Who carried handkerchiefs in this day and age? It reminded her of her father's old world chivalry, she thought while twisting the fabric in her hands, finding comfort in the fact that it was there in case she needed it.

"It's not a good-bye, it's a see you later," he murmured searching her gaze. After a moment, she lifted her gaze and stared at him with a dejected expression. "Liv, I love you."

There was so much more Fitz wanted to say but didn't know how. He needed her. He wanted her. He needed to touch her, love her, take care of her. He needed to call her his…girlfriend, wife, something. He wanted her to know that what they had was not a fling, a summer romance coupled with a well timed good- bye at the airport. No, no. For him, this was real, what he felt for her went beyond words, and the realization of it was almost too intense for him to bear.

As it was, he wasn't looking forward to returning to his old life. In fact, he was dreading going back to a world that didn't include her.

"Fitz…I love you too, "she mumbled at last, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, "and I'm gonna miss you."

"Hey, it's okay…baby, it's okay, he gently lifted her chin and pecked her lips. " I will be flying in every Friday night to Detroit and every Wednesday night. I promise," he added staring into her eyes with his innermost expression.

Olivia met his eyes for a moment and then looked away, trying to hide what she was thinking.

He saw through all her gestures, words, smiles as though he'd known her all his life. "Liv, What's wrong?"

"Okay," She paused to collect her thoughts. There was no good way to say this. "I've been thinking, this Wednesday night thing…it's not realistic, practical or even reasonable. You got good intentions, Fitz, but let's not kid ourselves, please."

His eyes widened. "Liv…" Still, he reached for her hand and enveloped it in his.

"I'm sorry...but I don't think it will work out…" She swiveled in her seat and extended her other hand and wrapped it in his, finally giving voice to what she'd been thinking about in the last 24 hours. "I mean, It's not realistic for you to fly Wednesday night only to fly back home in the morning…even if you're flying in your own plane."

He thought about this for a moment. "Okay, maybe your right…Wednesday would be hard to do, maybe every other Wednesday?" he searched her gaze for a response. She simply stared at him with a quizzical expression. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to do my best to make it happen," He assured her with conviction. "Liv, listen…to me it's worth the hassle of traveling just to be able to spend the night with you." He concluded, wanting a confirmation that she was on board with the plan.

"Fitz…I don't know. There's also Adam to think about," She finally admitted, biting her lower lip. "I think we should wait before he meets you."

Fitz cocked his head, "I don't understand. Why do we need to wait?"

Olivia looked away, her gaze shifting to the crowd of people starting to line up in front of gate 19, the gate she was boarding on her connecting flight to Detroit. "Fitz, "she replied at last, "I just don't think…well, this would be the first time since my divorce." She paused, biting her lip. This was just so hard to put into words. "I don't want him to see me sharing a bed with another man…not until we're sure our relationship is serious."

Fitz stared back at her, astonished. His hold on her hands eased and in turn, she completely freed her hands from his hold and grasped the shoulder strap of her purse. Was she insinuating that _this_ , what they had, was not serious? Had she not been listening to anything he'd said in the last 24 hours? Somehow, he felt as though SHE was the one not taking their relationship seriously. His next words reflected his outrage.

"So basically you're saying that it would actually best that I skip Wednesdays…maybe even give up on the idea of me flying into town altogether?' He fumed. He didn't want to be her secret lover, meeting her at a hotel whenever _she_ had the time.

Now that wasn't right, he was blowing this completely out of proportion, she thought. She never meant to imply that she wanted him to stay away. What she wanted was for there to be a transition between her returning from her week-long vacation and Fitz becoming a significant part of her son's life. She was thinking about what was best for Adam here.

Just then, the loud speakers announced it was time for her flight to board the plane, and she mentally kicked herself for waiting until the last minute to have this conversation.

"Fitz, please, don't do this, please, try to understand," she pleaded, surprised by the catch in her throat. This was far from the farewell she would have wanted. They were at a stand still. It seemed like hours passed but in reality, only a few minutes passed before the loud speakers called her flight again. "Let's not do this right now, I wanted us to say good-bye on a high note." She concluded, noting that his blue eyes were now stormy gray; this was certainly the first time she'd seen him this upset.

They stood and stared at one another for the longest time as though they were communicating telepathically. She was the one who broke the spell by shaking her head and opening her mouth as if to speak. But then, she changed her mind and made a beeline for gate 19. Fitz followed her keeping his distance. Next thing he knew, the American Airlines representative handed Olivia her a boarding pass.

This was it, _she was leaving_ , he realized. The magic of the last few days was over now.

"Liv," he mumbled her name ever so softly. Lord knows how tempted he felt in that moment to just throw away his schedule and fly to Michigan with her. But he couldn't. His job related obligations and his grandmother were expecting him back in California.

She turned around, her brown eyes shining with unshed tears, feeling conflicted. Right then, in spite of what she said, she wanted him to just get on that damn plane and go home with her.

"Last call for American Airlines flight 1126."

They both turned briefly to see that a couple crew members were already standing beside the tunnel, just waiting to usher Olivia –the last passenger to board the plane- and staring at them with pained expressions.

He wasn't particularly fond of public displays of affection, but when he gazed into her eyes and saw the love residing there, he pulled her close. And when he touched her lips for a brief kiss, her lips clung to his.

"Ms. Pope?" said one of the ushers with polite impatience.

The minute he released her, she turned to meet the ushers.

He stayed glued in place –he couldn't follow her and she couldn't stay with him-waiting for her to turn around and look at him one last time. And just when he lost all hope, she turned around at the last possible moment and waved; he waved back and swallowed the massive lump in his throat.

As it was, he had no choice but to keep telling himself that she was NOT walking out of his life, that this separation was transitory.

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, she walked away, leaving Fitz staring into the tunnel she'd disappeared into wearing a heartsick expression.

 **A/N:**

Reference to _Cancun and the Yucatan for dummies:_ the book and article mentioned are real.

 _I'm such a Meanie for leaving it there!_ *hides* but I had to end it somewhere! I could have waited until I had part II completed but then again, it would have been a mega chapter with well over 10,000 words. But this is better, I think. The good news is that now I got about 70% of next Chapter already written, just need to edit and add the scene I mentioned earlier.

I can't believe how the year flew by and now it's practically December, busiest time of the year. I'm already getting into the spirit of the season and made _my first new year's resolution: I will not start any new stories this year!_ YES! Better still, I'm planning on having chapter 12 for this fic and chapter 6 for _A Match Made in Heaven_ posted _before_ the end of the year. I'm shooting for updating them both at around the same time or close enough. Thanks for reading and reviewing :)


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**

A/N : Last chapter's reviews: I was a bit surprised, as many as half of all reviewers thought Olivia was getting ready to bail out on Fitz. My reaction: ?!...?!..?!

Okay, so normally I don't comment much on the plot as I like the story to speak for itself, but here I thought I would make an exception.

 **Recap of events, Last chapter:**

Olivia and Fitz had a romantic moment at the beach, they declared their love and Fitz tells her he would be flying to see her two or three times a week. Now, Olivia hears that and she calls him on it. They both know their time together is coming to an end, dreading the moment they have to separate). Fitz finally suggests every other Wednesday. Still, Liv is not all that convinced and they kiss. The subtext: they both know it's going to be hard to maintain such a schedule but Fitz is used to making things happen and now faces an obstacle that not even all the money in the world can fix. Further, Olivia tells him that there's Adam to think about and that she doesn't want to rush into anything. Here Fitz readily agrees. The subtext: they're basically saying they are not going to rush into committing into to a serious relationship/marriage. They'd only known each other a week and they both know it's too early to even suggest that. At the airport, when he hears Olivia say she would like to wait before introducing him to Adam, he jumps the gun (he doesn't understand, he doesn't have kids) and makes over the top statement about forgetting the whole idea of him flying into town in the first place(he's scared of losing her, sometimes we say things we don't mean when we feel under pressure). They hug and she leaves. I know, that was a bit sad, chapter ended with him alone at the airport. So I had to come back with another chapter ASAP. Anyhow, in this fic, both Olivia and Fitz have issues, they're good people but they're not perfect; they're just two people in the process of learning how to communicate and compromise and the give and take of a mature relationship.

This chapter is heavily packed with Olivia's backstory and next chapter will be Fitz's turn.

xxx

* * *

Detroit Metro Airport

Evelyn parked her vehicle and with the engine still running, she turned around to check on Adam. He appeared to be happily entertained watching _Despicable Me too_ strapped in his booster seat.

"Fun movie, is it?'

She barely got a response from Adam whose eyes were glued to the screen of her Samsung Galaxy Tab. The device had been a gift from Olivia and even though she knew the basics (like how to play movies on Netflix), she was still deeply overwhelmed by digital technology; deep down she felt that at her age of fifty eight, she was too old to learn new tricks. And because of this, she often let Adam play with her device to his heart's content.

Evelyn sighed, she was used to Adam ignoring at times like this. Back in the day, kids would have never ignored a parent or authority figure like they did today. She only hoped Adam would grow up to be more respectful and not like most of the other children in their neighborhood. Never mind that today there were more pressing things on her mind. With a long sigh, she opened the driver side door, stepped out of her Honda, and leaned against it with the driver's door still open. She then pulled out her mobile and dialed her daughter's number.

"Livvie, I'm here already parked…." Evelyn, covered one of ears with her hand - as it was awfully loud - while holding her cell phone with the other. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute first," she said knowing that this was their only opportunity to talk without Adam being present. "I'm sorry I'm running a little late."

"That's okay...I missed you guys."

"Livvie, listen… I got something terrible to tell you, it's awful and shocking and I think it's best if I tell you right now so Adam doesn't overhear." She glanced in the backseat to make sure that Adam was still entertained with the movie.

"Ma, what is it? You're scaring me…"

"Liv," Evelyn started but Olivia talked over her and murmured Adam's name. "No, no. Don't be alarmed. Adam is fine, everything is fine here at home."

"What's going on?"

"Okay, there's no good way to say this…"It's about Derek. He's dead."

"wh-what?"

"The police found him in his apartment, apparently, he'd already been dead for days. They think he overdosed on a cocktail of drugs."

Evelyn heard Olivia gasp in shock into the receiver. "Oh, my God!"

"The police came to the house and they were quite adamant about talking to you, of course I told them that you were on vacation."

"How's Adam?" Olivia's voice sounded small, uncertain.

"Adam doesn't know, I didn't have the heart to tell him, "Evelyn replied in a muffled voice. "I would have rather tell you in person but I wanted you to be prepared in case they drop by the house again." She spoke again after a long pause. "See you in a few minutes, Livvie…"

"Wait!" Olivia exclaimed. "Why does the police want to talk to me if …if his death was a drug overdose?"

"I...I don't know."

There was a long silence. The airport sounds roared in contrast. Olivia's voice shook when she finally spoke again.

"Okay, mom…listen, let's not do this right now. Let's give him a sense of normalcy for tonight at least."

"Okay, honey." Evelyn readily agreed, she had found the task quite dreadful, preferring to pass the torch to her daughter.

Fifteen minutes later, Evelyn spotted Olivia seated in front of _American Airlines_ gate 19, exactly where she said she would be, staring into space in a state of shock.

Adam sprinted ahead and threw himself in his mommy's arms. Olivia lifted Adam into her arms and showered his little face with kisses. In turn, she got a few peanut butter kisses. Oh, God, she had missed him so much; it seemed like ages since she hugged his warm little body and heard the sound of his sweet voice calling her 'mommy.'

The drive home was long and quiet. Olivia was still in shock over Derek's death and while she felt nothing but contempt for her ex-husband, it pained her to think of her little boy losing his father at such a tender age.

Her thoughts soon shifted to Fitz. She sent him a text telling him that she'd arrived safely. She worried a little when she didn't get a reply but then she remembered that he'd had to turn off his cell phone during his flight to Los Angeles and she actually had no idea whether his plane had landed already. She wished they had parted on better terms. Hopefully, he would come to understand that she was only trying to do the best for her little boy, especially now with Derek's death, the last thing she would want would be for Adam to associate his father's death with Fitz's arrival into their lives. Of course, both she and Fitz knew there was no such connection and that the timing of both events was merely an ironic twist of fate.

* * *

 **xxx**

Later than evening

Mother and daughter worked together in the kitchen fixing dinner, while Adam played in the living/ family room of their three bedroom apartment.

While Evelyn was fixing the vegetables for their beef and Cucumber stir-fry, Olivia mixed the chili powder, honey and soy sauce. Evelyn was a super-efficient cook who washed, sliced and removed seeds from vegetables with such ease. Her mother was such an amazing cook; it was no accident that her earliest memories of her mother were of her working in the kitchen. Even though Olivia could cook, nothing she ever made could possibly rival mother's home made meals served with a cup of milk –this was mandatory, non negotiable, every meal back when she was growing up came with a glass of milk attached- at their formica dinette table.

Back then, Olivia helped around the house and did her share of chores. Cooking however, had always been her mother's domain. "You go on and study now, you got to keep up your grades, you'll be a doctor or a great lawyer one day," she would say with that look that spoke quite clearly of her own unfulfilled ambitions back in the day.

To this day, Olivia felt guilty for disappointing her mother. She dropped out of college during her junior year due to pressure from Derek. She never made it to law school and was still paying off her student loans, not exactly measuring up to her mother's great expectations.

Next thing she knew her mother was looking at her expectantly. That's when she knew she had not listened to a word her mother said, lost in her own musings.

"Maybe we should fix a green salad? Spinach?" Her mother repeated. "Adam is eating steamed carrots now," she added proudly.

"Hmm, okay," Olivia mumbled. She was still in a state of shock and disbelief over Derek's death, but obviously her mother had had more time to get used to the idea. "I can't believe he's… dead."

"Poor Derek." Evelyn retrieved a bagged salad, carrots and tomatoes from the fridge and set them on the cutting board.

"Mom, when did this happen again?" Olivia felt that she needed a confirmation as if she learned the facts once again would make it seem less surreal.

Evelyn hesitated, turning to peel the carrots and chop the tomatoes. "Two days ago."

"Why...why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to cut your vacation short because of this."

Olivia knew her mother was right in her assumption. She would have come back right away had she know, and not just because she though that it was her prerogative to carry the weight on the world on her shoulders. Her sense of guilt would have dictated that she come back for her child. She was silent for a moment taking it all in. What had happened to Derek was awful and the part of her that had loved him when they first married was deeply saddened. She felt awful that he'd been dead for days before his body was found; but most of all, she felt for Adam and how all of this was going to affect him. Even though Derek had a poor track record of following through on the visitation schedule mandated by Family Court Services, it would be tremendously shocking for Adam to learn that he wouldn't be seeing his father ever again. Her brain was working overtime in the best way to prepare Adam for such life changing news. Her son shouldn't have to deal with this at such a tender age.

* * *

 **xxx**

Much later that evening, Olivia went back into Adam's room ten minutes after she had put him to bed to check he was asleep. She ended up staying there just watching him sleep. She knelt down by his twin size bed which stood with one side against the wall and equipped with a bed rail on the other side. She gazed around the room which was decorated appliqués of moons and stars in soft pastels and looked very much like it did the day she'd brought him home from the hospital, thinking how she'd never really gotten around to updating the décor.

"Mommy?" Adam asked sleepily from the bed.

Olivia leaned over Adam and stroked his hair. "Sorry I woke you."

"Grandma says you were on needed vacation."

Olivia smiled in the semi-darkness of the room, "Yes, I was on _a much needed_ vacation." She swallowed the lump in her throat, and eased onto the guardrail. She didn't know how she was ever going to tell him about his dad. Even though Derek had been a poor excuse for a father, Adam loved him and learning of his death was going to be traumatic.

"Are you gonna go on another vacation?"

"No...no baby, I'm here with you forever."Her eyes welled up. She reached down and stroked his cheek, "You're the best kid in the world, did you know that?"

She was uncomfortable sitting in the guardrail. "I hate this guardrail, I'm taking it off!" She stood up and began to slide the wooden rail from the twin sized bed, jiggling the frame. She pinched her finger, "OUCH! Stupid guardrail!"

Stupid guardrail! Adam giggled.

Olivia jiggled one last time and lifted the guardrail from the bed. "See ya, guardrail," Olivia added taking the rail to the other side of the room and set it against the wall. "Wouldn't wanna be ya."

Adam giggled again.

"I won't fall out, mommy," he said suddenly serious.

"I know that. You're too smart to fall out of your own bed." She paused, re-thinking her use of the word 'stupid.' It had made her little boy laugh and that's what really mattered. "By the way…you know we can call things stupid but not people. It's mean to call people stupid. You know that, right?" She bit her lip and chewed it. Darn it, how many times had she just unnecessarily said the word 'stupid'? It was like she had brain freeze.

Adam nodded looking sleepy, yet wriggling and tossing the covers restlessly.

Hey, are you being a wiggle worm?" She smiled, giving him a playful wink.

Adam caught on and giggled, "I am!"

"Okay, then, I'm coming in, we're having a slumber party."

"What's that?"

"It's people having a party when they should be sleeping! So scoot over wiggle-head!" Olivia eased onto the skinny bed, stretching. She then reached for him and wrapped him in her arms. Soon her baby was sound asleep. The tightness in her chest came back, as she was now alone with her thoughts imagining his reaction to the news, knowing she wouldn't be able to save him from undue heartbreak.

Gazing into her son's angelic face, her thoughts shifted to when she and Derek were getting divorced. Adam had been so little then, barely 18 months old. She shook her head, regretting how she had underestimated him thinking he was too little to understand. The sad truth was that Adam had witnessed the rage behind the tirade of insults and put downs that Derek had hurled at her.

It wasn't until later that she realized the extent of his trauma. One day, the director at Sunshine daycare had called her to discuss her son's 'out of control' behavior, as she not so kindly put it. According to her, Adam had been acting out, hitting and pushing the other children whenever he didn't get his way. From that day forward, things got worse. At home, Adam refused to cooperate even in the simplest of tasks such as washing hands before eating. His tantrums were of epic proportions and at dinner time, he'd knocked his food on the floor. Olivia was at her wit's end as she tried to put into practice some of the things her counselor recommended without much success. She avoided lengthy explanations (he was too young to understand) but simply tried to communicate to him the non-verbal message that if he dumped his food on the floor, then dinner was over. The tricky part, her counselor said was to respond with clear and consistent actions, calm authority AND warmth.

Even though she understood that his behavior was a response to all the tension around him and that acting out was the only way he had to cope with anxiety and fears, she felt like the most incompetent parent in the world.

Olivia had no choice but to switch Adam to another daycare and give her son a fresh start. It was a quick fix, but Olivia was going through so much, she took the path of the least resistance. This transferred even to her decision to stop fighting Derek in court regarding visitation. She finally agreed to Derek taking Adam every other weekend and on Wednesdays. She wasn't crazy about this schedule but if it would keep the peace and keep Derek from becoming belligerent every time he came to visit Adam, what other choice would she have? She knew Derek was using Adam as a way to get back at her and that sadly, the silent victim of this whole ordeal was her innocent little boy.

Derek hadn't always been this way. In fact, if anyone had even suggested to her at her high school graduation that one day Derek, star player of the football team would one day become abusive, she would have laughed at the absurdity.

She never knew what triggered the change in him. During their two year courtship, he was attentive, friendly and talkative with every one she knew. And for the longest time after that, she wasn't prepared to admit that she had a serious problem in her hands and continued making excuses for him.

His controlling behavior stood out like a warning sign on a lonely road, yet she didn't realize it until it was too late. As soon as they tied the knot, he became overbearing and impossible. She should have known better when he frowned on her meeting with friends when he wasn't invited. Then, came the insults, his contempt for her friends, herself and her mother. She had to hide every time she dialed Quinn, her best friend who later married and moved to Iowa. The nightmare continued. He became insistent that she stay home, expecting her to be the wifey type with a ruffled apron, even she was sure she never gave him that impression. However, Derek was adamant she quit after Adam was born and refused to allow Evelyn to help care for Adam. She went back to work in spite of his objections with the intention of staying in school at least part time. In time the financial obligations became too great-particularly with the day care expense- and she had no choice but to drop out.

Presently **,** Olivia kissed the top of her son's forehead, inhaling his sweet scent. She would have given anything to spare him any pain. Still, she felt grateful that in spite of her fears, Adam's behavior as a toddler had been just a phase. He was the sweetest, kindest little boy, she thought, swallowing the lump in her throat. He had come a long way since those early days. He was doing well, his preschool teacher reported no issues, in fact he was a delight to have in class, she'd said. He was active, yet he paid attention and participated appropriately in class. Moreover, he was charming AND with a funny streak and because of this, he was well liked by his peers. In fact, he had more play dates per week than the number of dates she'd had in the last three years.

Olivia closed her eyes. She could almost fall asleep here, too bad the bed was so skinny, not to mention she doubted it would support her weight longer than a couple hours much less the entire night.

With a reluctant sigh, Olivia left Adam's room and wandered into the dim lit hallway. It must be late. A quick glance into the kitchen clock told her it was a little after 10:30 and another glance across the hallway told her that her mom was in the spare bedroom sleeping.

She sat on the couch in the living room and pulled her out her cell phone. Too late to call him? She wondered.

 _Fitz… I miss you,_ she typed, misty eyed. She missed the sound of his voice, the little smirk behind those blue eyes of his. She only hoped he was still awake and saw her text.

His text came in five minutes later, _I miss you too._

The phone rang and Olivia answered on the second ring. Instantly, her body curled against the arm of the sofa, making herself really small with her arms across her chest, and holding the phone tight to her ear. The sweet sound of his voice made her chuckle and sniffle at the same time.

Her mind formed a vision of him in those swim trunks of his, his hair dripping wet which sent her heart thumping against her chest. In her next breath, she pictured him in the pool at the Hyatt Zylara with his arms bent across the deck and telling her, _c'mon, Liv, live a little…_ _put_ _that book down and take a dip with me._

Olivia stifled a sob. How she wished she was back with Fitz at that very moment. The impossibility of ever returning to that moment burned so hot that it made the ache in her chest even deeper. Why did their vacation have to come to an end?

"Liv, are you okay?" his concerned voice made her gasp and try to pull herself together.

"Um, yeah…I just…" she trailed off unable to complete the sentence. The sound of his voice, the hit of him. …she's been missing him in a thousand ways.

"Liv, are you there?" He said after a long silence.

"Yes, I'm here," she breathed.

There was so much concern in his voice, "Are you okay? Adam and your mom?"

"Yes, yeah. Everything is fine. I just learned some upsetting news." She paused and she could picture Fitz furrowing his brow in concern. "My ex-husband Derek was found dead in his apartment a few days ago."

There was a dead silence on the other end of the line which was to be expected of course. "Oh, no. What happened?"

"My mom says the police think it was a drug overdose." She said, feeling a little more composed now. Even though she wasn't mourning Derek, she was still a bit distraught by the news, although in all honesty, her concern now was for her son only.

"The police? Olivia…is there a police investigation?"

"No, no, I don't think so. It's a matter of formality," she went on, not wanting him to worry unnecessarily and feeling guilty about springing her emotional baggage onto Fitz. As far as she knew, the police just wanted to talk to her.

"Liv…you know I love you, right?" There was vulnerability in his voice that tug at her heartstrings.

"Fitz…" she stifled a sob. She wished she was looking into his eyes right now, she wished she could feel his arms around her holding her tight. That's what she needed. A hug. A hug from him.

"I don't want for you to doubt that, ever…"

"I don't, I don't…I love you. I missed you so much." Her voice vibrated passionately. "It's as though I'd known you all my life."

Fitz let out a happy chuckle. "Are you trying to channel me, Ms. Pope?"

His comment brought an instant smile to her face as she recalled his tale of how they'd known each other since the beginning of time.

"Well, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

She imagined him smirking at that.

"Livvie, I'm coming down to see you Wednesday evening. Ok? I already have reservations made at the Hilton in Ann Arbor."

She smiled, "Okay…"

" I'll text you the details. If you can only stay a few hours, so be it. It's okay with me, I wanted you to know that. " _Take as much time as you need._

"I'll be looking forward," she murmured into the receiver, wanting to say so much more and yet at the same time not knowing what else to say.

"I hate to say it, but I gotta go. I have a meeting early in the morning with my family. We're discussing financial issues," he sighed.

"Oh. Sounds serious."

"It is I suppose. It's complicated, but I'll tell you about it later in person. Speaking of serious, I imagine that Adam was upset about his father?"

"I haven't told him yet. I thought I would in the morning."

"I'm sorry…I can't imagine his grief and how hard this must be for you."

"It's hard. But he'll be okay, he's a strong little guy."

"Give him a hug from me."

She appreciated the sentiment. "I'll tell him your name. Fitz, the friend I've known since the beginning of time."

She could practically see him smiling at that.

"Well…as much as I hate to say it, I gotta go. I got to get some sleep or I'll feel like hell in the morning."

"Yeah."

"And you too, you must be tired and jet lagged. You get your rest, ok?"

"Okay. I feel so much better now that we talked," She whispered. Just hearing the sound of his voice did wonders for her mood.

"Me too. I feel like I from here on out, I could conquer the world like Alexander the Great."

They talked for a little while longer, both hating to be the one having to say good-bye first, but then they were both having trouble keeping their eyes open.

"Good night, Livvie."

"Good night, Fitz."

They both pushed the end button at the same time, missing each other but certainly feeling a lot better than when they parted at the airport.

* * *

 **Xxx  
**

The next morning, Olivia woke feeling as though she'd been ran over by a bus but as she started to move about her day she started feeling more like her old self. Her sleep had been restless. She'd woken up a couple of times thinking about Fitz and thinking about Adam.

She found her mom and Adam in the kitchen already having breakfast. It was Monday morning and Adam needed to be in school in forty-five minutes. She was glad that she was not due back at work until tomorrow as it would give her an extra day to ease back into her routine and recover from jet lag.

"Mommy!" Adam's eyes brightened and even Snoopy the cat looked up at her expectantly from his perch on the window sill as she made her entrance and helped herself to a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon.

"Good morning, baby." She turned to her mother, "Ma, thanks so much for making breakfast." She said noting that her mother was clad in a nice pant suit. "Going somewhere this morning?'

"I'm applying at the library for that volunteer position. I need to do something during the day or I just... " she trailed off. They both knew what she meant. After retiring last year from her teaching position at their local elementary school, Evelyn had been looking for something to give new meaning to her life.

Olivia nodded, taking a hearty sip of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Mommy, we need to call daddy" Adam said solemnly.

Olivia nearly choked on her food, Adam's question had come so sudden. "We need to call him," she repeated.

"I've been calling him every day and he's not there!"

Olivia and Evelyn exchanged a look of pity and concern.

"Yes, we've been calling him several times a day," Evelyn said mournfully and with a pointed look.

Olivia shook her head sadly, just imagining the impact of the words she was about to deliver. If she kept her expression impassive, if she didn't blink or even open her mouth to say another word, she might be able to stop the tears from spilling over. And she didn't want to cry. Not here in front of Adam.

Finally, after a heavy silence, Olivia took her little boy's hand and spoke the words that no parent ever wants to say to their child. "Adam, sweetheart. Daddy's not coming back." She paused. She took a deep breath and letting her it out slowly, her next words sounded hollow to her own ears. "He passed away. He's in heaven now."

Adam stared at his mother wide-eyed. He heard the words but somehow they were failing to fully register in his brain. "He's supposed to help me build a Lego castle, he promised, he promised!" he protested, his little face crumbling into a heap of fear and pain rolled into one. "Call him, mommy!" He stood up and his swift motion knocked over the glass of milk on his placemat. He rushed to their home phone, snatched it from its cradle and brought to his mother **.**

With a heavy heart, Olivia set down the receiver on the table while Evelyn rushed to wipe the milk off the floor. She then pushed the chair away from the table and opened her arms to her son, "Come, baby. Give me a hug."

"NO! CALL HIM, CALL HIM!" Adam demanded, cheeks flushed, his body in a rigid stance.

"I can't, baby. I wish I could, but I can't" Olivia cried, rubbing his arms, trying to pull him into an embrace.

"Adam, darling. Your daddy is not coming back…he died," Evelyn mumbled. She almost added, _like your pet hamster_ , and then bit her tongue at the inappropriate comparison. Adam turned to look at her with big sad eyes and then threw himself into his grandma's arms.

Olivia rose from the table and got on her knees behind Adam and rubbed his back wanting more than anything to be able to take his pain away. Just when it seemed like he would never let go of his grandmother, he turned around and buried his face in his mother's arms.

For the next couple of hours, both Evelyn and Olivia tried to engage with the young preschooler but he preferred to play alone. Then, at a random moment, he put on his Bob the Builder backpack and announced that it was time for school. Olivia had been prepared to keep him home all day if necessary but was happy to stick to his routine as much as possible.

* * *

 **Later.**

After dropping off Adam at preschool, mother and daughter discussed their plans for the rest of the day as they made their way across the lawn back to their car.

"I think we should just show up at station and see what detective Springfield wants to talk to you about."

"Ma," Olivia retorted as if their roles had reversed and she was the mother and Evelyn the daughter, "You still need to go to the library and turn in your application. Okay? I don't want you to put your plans on hold on my account. "

"Of course I will. Don't worry about that, darling," Evelyn replied good-naturedly.

They shared a meaningful smile; they'd been best friends in the good and in the bad times, even during Olivia's teenage years. Remarkably, at that point in time Evelyn became even more involved than ever in her daughter's life by scheduling music lessons, sports, choir practice and karate lessons while continuing to foster a healthy sense of independence. The end result was that Olivia had many opportunities to grow in maturity and build her confidence in a variety of situations during her formative years.

Once they were back in the car, their conversation continued with a change of topic.

"We didn't get to talk much last night," Olivia noted. Well, actually, they did talk but their conversation had been mostly about 'poor' Derek's death (She wished her mother would just stop using the word 'poor' in reference to Derek though, it was getting on her nerves!).

"Tell me about _him_ ," her mother winked at her, "it sure sounds like you met your match," she added recalling how she had talked bout him over the phone while on vacation.

Olivia adopted a dreamy expression and more a moment there she felt like she was back to being in school talking about a crush, "he's wonderful. He's intelligent, funny, caring…masculine…" she sighed. _And incredibly sexy._ She closed her eyes and for a moment she pictured his expression—softened by pleasure- as they made love on top of the historic Mayan Pyramid. Wow. She couldn't believe it, for a moment there it seemed like it had happened in a another lifetime and to someone else.

And then the question Evelyn had been dying to ask, "Are you in love with him?" She was the first one to believe in love at first sight as she had experienced it first hand.

Olivia smiled at the question which made the other woman's smile grow wider, "love…love. love. Yes, yes, yes!"

Evelyn's smile turned bittersweet, "I remember falling in love; it was the greatest thing in the world."

There were so many things Olivia loved about Fitz: His sense of humor, the way he combed his hair, and that boyish smile of his combined with that certain crinkle in his eyes…

* * *

 **Xxx  
**

At the police station

Less than an hour later, Olivia and Evelyn sat together across from Detective Springfield at the police station, thinking it would be best to get this over with rather than wait for another visit.

Olivia decided NOT to tell Fitz in a text message. She didn't want him to worry; besides, she was thinking it would best to find out what the police wanted first before mentioning anything.

Springfield wasted no time telling them Derek Smith was implicated in a money making scheme of diluting drugs and repackaging them and selling them to various vendors such as medical offices and insurance companies.

Olivia and Evelyn exchanged looks of shock. Neither one of them would have ever suspected something like this.

"The question is…. where is the money?"Springfield voiced the question giving Olivia a long, inquisitive look.

"I wouldn't know." Olivia truthfully replied. "I had no idea he was involved in something like this."

Springfield gave her a dubious look as though he wasn't entirely convinced and then, quickly changed the subject, "Derek's death has been officially ruled a suicide by the medical examiner." He paused to let his words sink in. "He also carried a two million dollar policy payable in full to your son Adam. It states that the money should be held in a trust fund until he's eighteen." He paused again, this time with a rueful smile, "but of course, life insurance policy is cancelled if death is ruled a suicide."

Olivia thought about this for a moment. It seemed like he was establishing that she had nothing to gain by Derek's death and of course, she didn't. "I'm afraid I don't have any information about the money or anything else that could assist you in your investigation."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. Ms. Smith."

"Pope."

The detective raised his brow.

"The last name. It's Pope not Smith. I'm legally divorced, so he's not my husband."

"Yeah, yeah, right." He leaned back in his chair and studied her. "We have ALL the evidence we need tying Derek Smith to the crime…" he trailed off and Olivia could see the wheels in his head turning.

"If you have all the evidence you need, then what do you need me for?"

"Listen, I'm going to tell you something that if I'm asked later, I'll just deny," he lowered his voice as if suggesting the secret he was spilling seem of the utmost importance, "But I think Derek was not acting alone. There was someone else involved in the scheme of diluting cancer drugs. We've been trying to contact both the oncologist that tested the drugs and the sales representative that first noted the discrepancy between the cancer drug Gemzar that your ex-husband bought and what he sold. In time, she suspected the drug was being diluted. She told the oncologist, one Derek's customers but he didn't believe her until a year later. Now both the oncologist and sales representative are missing. Suddenly, we got no witnesses and no one to prosecute. All we have is the written report by the oncologist found at your husband's apartment."

"Ex-husband," Olivia corrected, this time looking visibly annoyed.

Realizing that the detective was no longer being secretive, both Olivia and Evelyn leaned back in their seats, their expressions unreadable.

"Yeah, right," Springfield replied nonchalantly, starting to light up his cigar. "Mind if I smoke?"

Olivia recoiled, she hated tobacco smoke. "Detective, if that's all you needed to discuss with me…"

"Not so fast." He grinned noting that both women were now looking at him, tense and weary "I need the names of ALL of your…ex-husband's buddies as far back as you can remember. Can you do that… say by tomorrow?"

Olivia nodded and rose to her feet with more confidence than she felt. "Is that all?"

Springfield held his cigar and took his first puff, held the smoke in his mouth and slowly inhaled, "Are you staying in town for the next 30 days?"

"I think so." Olivia avoided staring directly in his direction due to the smoke, yet Springfield caught her quizzical expression.

"In case we have more questions," the man offered with a half shrug. With a practiced a smile he put down his cigar and stood, holding out a rugged but courteous handshake to both Olivia and her mother.

Mother and daughter marched in silence to the blue Toyota Camry parked a few feet from the entrance to the police station. Olivia got on the driver's side and turned on the ignition.

"Listen," Evelyn's gaze was adamant as they both continued to sit with the engine running. "This whole situation…. you need to tell Fitz about this."

"Mama…"

"Liv, honey, don't let pride stand in the way. Don't make the same mistakes I made. After your dad left, I wanted to make it on my own and refused help when it was offered." She shook her head, her expression filled with regret. If she had only taken the child support money and saved it for a down payment on a house or to pay for her daughter's college expenses but her pride had prevented her from accepting a penny.

Olivia cocked her head, giving the matter some thought as she continued to sit behind the wheel with the engine idle. "Derek's affairs have nothing to do with me. It's not like I need a lawyer. And even if I ever do, I can get referrals if it's necessary. I work at a law office, remember?" In her mind's eye, Olivia was picturing Fitz channeling Don Quixote De La Mancha, dressed in suit and armor ready to sweep her onto his horse saving her from the evil of the world. The notion was so ridiculous she let out a quiet chuckle. "Ma, listen. I'm NOT a damsel in distress and Fitz is NOT a noble rogue who's just waiting in the wings to come to my rescue. Besides, everything is going to be okay." She concluded thinking that while there _might_ be distress up ahead-she and only she—could get herself out of it. After all, she was her mother's daughter in every sense of the word, wasn't she?

"Olivia," Evelyn retorted, her expression bewildered. "Two people are missing. Who knows what this means? Have you thought about this? What are you thinking? This is not just about you…but think about Adam, for heaven's sake! What if this person...man, woman, Derek's partner...what if he or she comes after you thinking Derek left you some of the money?"

Olivia bit her lip furiously, perhaps her mother was right. There was so much to think about here, she needed time to think.

 **A/N:**

Okay, some of you may be wondering if there will be much going on with the detective/ Derek storyline. We will be moving on, I have many other things planned for this story and this was necessary as you will soon see. The important part really is the piece of paper Evelyn discovered (a tiny mystery here :) to keep my muse happy, building up to something.

Once I decided to continue this fic beyond vacation time, I knew I had to add a couple of layers otherwise it would be too boring for me to continue writing long term ( been there, done that). A single layer of sameness starts getting old if that's all there is. Anyhow, I have much more planned for this fic, including fun times, fluffiness and Olitz loving. And we are also going deeper. I read somewhere that life is like a cake that has many layers of many thicknesses, textures and flavors. So I'm really hoping you're finding this fic like a rich triple layer cake, lol. But most of all' I'm hoping y'all continue to read, enjoy and follow this story and that the numbers keep growing! **Stay tuned, I'm planning lighter chapters ahead. Looking forward to your feedback. Happy holidays to you and your family and friends!**


	13. Taking the Plunge part II

**A/N:**

I changed my mind, next chapter we'll go into Fitz's back story.

 **Daring to plunge into the unknown**

 **may well land you in paradise**

 **~~Bronnie Ware~~**

 **The sign of great parenting is not the child's behavior,**

 **the sign of truly great parenting is the parent's behavior,**

 **~~Andy Smithson~~**

* * *

Over the course of the next two days, Olivia and Evelyn had many conversations when Adam was otherwise occupied.

"Olivia, I wouldn't take any chances if I were you. "

"Ma, I can't just skip town…I have my job, my life is here. Besides, there's a good chance that Derek's partner already skipped town with the money or at least his or her share of the money." Olivia said with a pointed look. "Otherwise we would have known by know….don't you think?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Evelyn mumbled looking at her straight in the eye.

Olivia felt overwhelmed. Deep down she thought there was a good chance that Derek's death was NOT a suicide. Maybe there had been a dispute and the so- called partner had killed him and taken off with the money. But what if Derek had a secret stash somewhere? The killer ( if there was indeed a killer ) could still be around waiting to get to her thinking Derek had left her the money? What if the killer was indeed waiting until the dust settled on the case before coming after her? She didn't want to dwell on the possibilities. This line of thinking was too scary, it was making her feel small and vulnerable.

Olivia showed her mother her list of Derek's friends. It was still rather short. Derek had a good number of friends but he'd also made a good number of enemies over the years and a number of off and on Saturday night drinking buddies.

She had the feeling she was missing something.

"What if we call Derek' s mother?" Evelyn said. " she might be able to help us with the list."

Olivia picked up the phone and dialed.

" This is Olivia Pope...her ex daughter in law. Hmm. When? Sorry to hear...what's her condition? Okay, I will call the hospital and ask. Thank you."

There was a long moment of silence after Olivia hung up.

" She' s in the hospital, she suffered a heart attack."

"Oh, my," Evelyn covered her mouth with her hands. "Poor thing. It must have been such a shock to hear her only son was dead."

Mother and daughter shook their heads in commiserations.

Later

Let's think this through. If Derek had some money stashed away were would he hide it? Don't you think that if this were the case, he would have told me about it?"

"Hmm," Evelyn looked away giving the matter some thought. Her gaze fell on Adam who was sitting on the floor next to the coffee table in the living room. He was digging into the pockets of his backpack for his treasure **s**. It was as if a light bulb had been turned on in a pitch dark room. "Liv, there's something interesting I found in Adam's backpack." Without waiting for a response, Evelyn got up and left the room. She came back two minutes later with her wallet. "I found this in Adam's backpack. Maybe it means something?"

Olivia took the piece it. paper and unfolded it.

She glanced at it, focusing on the yellow sticky note.

 _Olivia save this._

"Is it Derek' s handwriting?"

"Yes. Yes. He definitely wrote the note. But...it' s just a drawing."

It was a rudimentary drawing of the peanuts characters Snoopy and Lucy. Olivia didn't think much of it since Derek had been drawing the characters for Adam to color since last year when he and a girlfriend had taken Adam on a cross country car trip to Knotts Berry Farm.

Adam had loved the trip and when he was back home he' d asked for a dog like Snoopy. For the longest time, Olivia explained that dogs weren't allowed in their apartment. Adam insisted. Olivia got him the Siamese cat. The first thing the cat had done when they brought him home was jump inside the toy box and Adam promptly named him Snoopy.

* * *

 **Xxx**

"What if it doesn't work out between us? She voiced her deepest fear, the fear of failing, the fear that most times she kept hidden even from herself.

"What makes you think it won't?"

"But I married Derek thinking it was the real thing and that we would stay together forever...

"Okay, let' s talk about that."

Evelyn made two cups of hot cocoa and both women sat on the couch together.

"There are no guarantees in life, Olivia."

"Of course not."

"Yet you're still afraid..."

Olivia shrugged.

"The way to conquer your fears is to acknowledge it, face it right on. The more you do this, the less powerful it becomes...Beth Moore bible study, overcoming your fears," Evelyn added this last bit of information in response to her daughter's pointed look.

"Oh, mama," she took a sip of her hot cocoa savoring the warmth as it spread. "And how do you propose I do that?"

"Call him. Invite him to come here and be with you and Adam...and for heaven's sake tell him what's going on with the police investigation. Give him a chance to come through for you. I haven't met him, but from what you've told me about him and the stars in your eyes, he's the one. Trust your gut, girl. Deep down, each of us knows when we've met the right person."

Olivia took the opportunity to draw attention away from herself. " Is that the way you felt when you met dad? Did you know he was the one?"

Evelyn smiled at the loaded question. " You would think that since we divorced he wasn't the one...but he was. We had eighteen wonderful years together and we had you. So yes, he was the one for me. Now, of course you remember how we got together?" She paused and waited for Olivia to nod in order to continue. "It was love at first sight. Never mind what happened later, it doesn't invalidate the fact that as soon as he laid eyes on him for the first time, I knew we would be together."

Olivia furrowed her brow. Somehow, a part of her believed that her parents' s divorce diminished the value of her mother's advice.

"How can you say that, ma? How can you say he was the one if in the end he found someone else?" Olivia mumbled between gritted her teeth. She couldn't help her strong emotional reaction, every time she thought about her father hooking up with a woman 20 years his junior, every time she thought about how her father had left even after Olivia herself had begged him to stay during a heart wrenching conversation. In the end, her father left breaking her heart to pieces..

" Livvie, I don't regret marrying your dad. He was the love of my life, even if it didn't last."

"My situation with Derek was different... He changed into someone I didn't recognize almost from the moment we got married."

"Exactly. Think back to when you met him. What did your gut feeling tell you about him?"

Olivia sighed, recalling they had this same conversation years ago when she was in the midst of divorcing Derek.

" I remember thinking to myself there was something about Derek I didn't like. After our first date, I tried to break it off. But he kept calling, insisting... So I ended up feeling sorry for him. " she said more to herself.

Evelyn gave her an 'aha,' look. "There you go, your gut was trying to tell you something and you chose to ignore it. Now compare that what your gut was telling you about Fitz.

Olivia sighed. " I had the feeling he was the one from the moment we met, but-

" No buts. My point is, We know when we it' s the right person, we have to trust our gut feeling... The same is true when it' s the wrong person."

Olivia sighed again, this time acknowledging that her mother _might have a point._ Still, it was clear to Evelyn that her daughter wasn't completely convinced.

 _"_ Olivia, do you know what's the saddest thing for me as a mother?

That certainly got Olivia's attention. She sat up straighter."I grew up too fast. " she guessed.

" Well, that's certainly true, " Evelyn's smile was bittersweet. "As a mother, it pains me to see my child go through the same situations that I did...and not be able to pass on what I learned to you... without you having to go through them. I read somewhere that we don't learn to walk listening to instructions, we learn by doing and falling over. Girl, don't you see? Don't you see how I wish could keep you from falling?"

* * *

 **Xxx**

Olivia looked down into the Cenote, a deep pit naturally open to the sky, formed by the collapsing of a cave. From the top all she could see is a giant hole in the ground, when you get closer it's like you are looking into another dimension. Vines and flowers lined the walls of the sinkhole, as well as the occasional waterfall. Then at the very bottom, there was a great big pool of water with people bobbing up and down.

 _"I don't think I can," Olivia said as they moved closer to edge of the platform. She was freaking terrified._

 _"_

 _"Yes you can!" He countered. "Oh, c'mon," Fitz moped, "It won't be nearly as fun without you."_

 _Olivia smirked, "I'm flattered that you'd become so attached to me, really, but I think I'll pass," giving his naked torso a long sidelong glance._

 _"You can do it. Just look at what you've done in the last 48 hours…you surfed the toughest waves in town, you climbed to the top of one of the seven wonders of the universe…what's a little hole in the ground?" He smirked. "C'mon, Liv, what's is it gonna take to convince you? A kiss?"_

 _Olivia let out a nervous chuckle. Fitz was grinning from ear to ear, sporting that boyish look that she so loved._

 _He gently pulled her closer, their hot breath touching. She closed her eyes as he kissed her brow, her temples, her cheeks, her mouth. She parted her lips as he pressed a whisper of a kiss across her lips._

 _The magic of the moment lingered in the air until he broke the kiss with another one of his quick grins, "Liv, hold my hand," he whispered stepping closer to the edge._

 _At last, Olivia stepped forward to the edge of the platform and clasped his hand, looking into his eyes, her heart beating so fiercely she felt it might just burst from her chest._

 _I think I can, I think I can, I think I can._

 _In the next moment, they were jumping off together, feet first._

 _The height they had jumped made them both go about twenty feet under before beginning to resurface. Still under water and with his eyes open, Fitz easily spotted Olivia her long legs kicking. She was diving low under him and he realized that she must have been looking for him. He felt her slippery arms searching, her hands sliding around him. At last, she reached for him kicking as they rose together to the surface. As they broke through the fresh air, Ana knew she would always remember this moment for the rest of her life. It had been absolutely perfect, she thought, eyes bright, smiling wide._

Olivia emerged from the water, opened her eyes and looked for Fitz.

"Mommy, mommy," Adam was gently nudging her arm.

"Oh," baby, "I guess I fell asleep," she mumbled straightening up on the couch. She certainly had no intention of taking a nap so close to bedtime.

* * *

 ** _xxx_**

Wednesday evening

Olivia opened the door to her apartment with a big smile on her face and threw her arms around Fitz.

"I missed you," she said kissing him on the lips. He looked so handsome in jeans and a casual polo shirt.

"I missed you too," he mumbled against her lips. She looked gorgeous in a black and white free flowing dress and very little makeup.

She pulled back to look into his grey blue eyes. She was glad she decided to ask him to come to her house and meet her family instead of them meeting at a hotel like they're planned. And he was glad too, she could see it in his eyes.

"Fitz, " she took his hand and shut the door. When she turned she saw Evelyn smiling in the background half way between the kitchen and living room. I'd like you to meet my mother, Evelyn."

Fitz stepped forward with and outstretched hand and tipping his head just a little, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So nice to meet you too," Evelyn smiled shaking hands. "So glad you could come."

Fitz's gaze shifted between mother and daughter. They were so alike. Evelyn looked like Olivia's older sister. He considered saying something to this effect but he didn't want to be misinterpreted as false flattery.

"I've heard so many things about you, I feel I know you already," Fitz said instead as the three of them gathered around the formal dining table. In the background, Fitz noticed Adam watching television. "I imagine our relationship must be so sudden to you."

Evelyn graciously smiled. "I trust my daughter's judgement. She's an excellent judge of character...and it's clear that she cares for you deeply."

Olivia blushed a little at the compliment and Fitz and Olivia shared a smile.

A few minutes later, while Olivia tried to get Adam away from the television, Evelyn and Fitz engaged in casual conversation and they seemed so comfortable with each other that a stranger would have a hard time believing that they'd only met minutes ago.

"Adam, I want you to meet a good friend of mine," Olivia said standing behind the boy with her hands placed on his shoulders.

"Adam, nice to meet you. You can call me Fitz," Fitz stretched out his hand. "How about a high five instead?" Fitz added when Adam just stood there looking at him. It took him a moment but then Adam gave him a high five.

Shortly after that, Evelyn excused herself. "It was truly a pleasure to meet you," she said shaking hands with Fitz, "but I gotta get going. " she turned to her daughter for a half hug, " enjoy the rest of your evening."

"The pleasure was mine," Fitz said sincerely.

Olivia dashed to the kitchen for right then a loud long beep came from the oven in the kitchen.

* * *

Shortly after, the three of them sat down for dinner at Olivia's formal dinning table. After saying a blessing, Olivia and Fitz started eating with gusto and Fitz complimented her for the 12 Ingredient lasagna that had taken her two and a half hours to bake. They were so into each other that neither one of them noticed that Adam was staring at his food as though an unidentified object had just landed on his plate.

"You thought my mom lived here with me?"

"The way you talked about her kinda gave me that impression.

'Oh, no, Lord," she chuckled. "I love my mother and we're close and all, but the two of us sharing the same kitchen everyday..." she shook her head. " she lives in the same building though, right across from us."

"Alright- y then, " Fitz visibly relaxed, happy to be spending the rest of the evening alone. Well, almost alone, He thought catching sight of Adam out of the corner of his eye pushing his plate away.

"Yuck."

"Adam Alexander, " Olivia shot him a warning look. "You know the rules, We don't say that word at the table... And you gotta have three bites of everything on your plate."

"No!"

"It's lasagna, buddy, just like the same lasagna we have all the time!" Olivia glanced at Fitz and toned down her next words, attempting to sound perfectly cool and collected but secretly hating herself for trying a new recipe tonight of all nights.

"No, it's not lasagna, it's yucky!" Adam made a face of disgust.

"Adam stop it, " Olivia said in between her teeth while attempting to smile. Adam was definitely on his worst behavior tonight and she was positively mortified. And worst of all, she fell like such a fake. She chanced a glance at Fitz and much to her relief he didn't seemed freaked out. On the contrary, he seemed to be taking in the situation with some amusement.

Adam grabbed the dinner role on his plate and took four bites in a row, stuffing it in his mouth and showing bits of chewed up food.

Olivia was horrified. She grabbed Adam's hand and disappeared. When she returned, three minutes later with Adam at her heels and this time wearing his Bob the Builder backpack, she put Adam's plate in the sink. Adam sat down and stared at Fitz who gave him a wink. Adam grinned back.

At last, Olivia returned to the table with a bowl of cheerios and a jar of milk. Adam happily splashed his Cheerios himself ( he was a big boy).

Fitz thought it was kind of amusing that the boy was wearing his backpack at the table. "That's a cool backpack, " he grinned.

Adam beamed. "Did you have a backpack when you were little?"

"Yes I did. I also had a remote control car, one of the first ones ever made."

Adam's eyes widened. "What color?"

"Red."

"I have a red one too, " Adam said smiling.

Fitz and Olivia shared a smile.

After dinner, Adam retrieved his red remote control car to show Fitz. Olivia watched them while straightening the kitchen and from their body language she could tell they liked each other which brought her a sense of relief. Maybe things would be okay...if Adam didn't do anything else to scare off Fitz, that is.

Fitz and Adam spent some time playing with the remote control car and talking until Adam decided he wanted to watch Spy kids. By then, Olivia was done and the kitchen and had joined him in the living room.

"Sorry I didn't stay and help."

"Don't be. It's good you spent some time with Adam." She turned to Adam. "Okay, Adam, listen. It's bedtime for you when the movie is over, you understand?"

Adam readily agreed and settled on his favorite spot on the couch to watch the movie and with the backpack by his feet.

Olivia settled beside him and Fitz sat on the opposite side of the couch. While they watched the movie, Olivia stole glances at Fitz and realized that he was actually enjoying the movie. He also made a few funny remarks that had Adam laughing. Olivia relaxed, relieved that Adam had not mentioned Derek all evening.

Fitz and Olivia shared a smile and Fitz stretched his arm across the couch, casually touching her shoulder.

And then the movie was over.

"It was a great movie, I really enjoyed it," Fitz said for Adam's benefit.

"Time for bed, Adam say good night to Fitz," Olivia said reaching for Adam's hand and usher him to his bedroom.

"Can I watch another movie, mommy, please?" Adam begged his mother and when she said no he sprung to his feet, outraged. "NO! I don't want to go to bed!" he shouted glaring at Olivia.

"Adam," Olivia shot him a warning look.

"NO, NO!" He shouted, this time running to his bedroom. She supposed i the important thing is that he'd complied and went to his bedroom.

Fitz saw the struggle in her expression and said, "mind if I go in an check on him?" He didn't know have much of experience with young children but he figured there was no harm done in trying.

"That might be a good idea. I don't think he likes me much right now," she replied matter-of-factly. She had learned over the years that to be a good parent didn't mean her child would be constantly happy.

* * *

 **xxx**

Fitz poked his head through the partially open door. Adam was sitting on a corner of his room knees drawn up, his brown little hands clasping them tight.

"Can I come in?"

Adam half shrugged.

Fitz seated himself beside the boy, knees drawn up.

"Nice room."

"It' s baby' s room."

"How can it be a baby' s room if it' s your room?" He regarded the boy with the tiniest of smiles. "You sure don't look like a baby to me. ..hmm...let' make sure..." He then squinted one eye as if studying him closely. "You look pretty big to me...and I hear you got a Bob The Builder backpack I see, " he added eying the backpack sitting in the corner of the room. "You're a big boy alright."

Adam grinned proudly.

"Mommy promised she would put Bob The Builder stickers on my walls."

"If she promised, I'm sure she will."

"Daddy promised he would build a big Lego castle with me."

Fitz cast him a sympathetic look. "I lost my daddy too."

"You did?"

"Hmm...when I was just a little older than you."

"Were you sad?"

"I was very sad...and sometimes I was really angry. I was angry like you were when you didn't want to go to bed. Any way I was very angry, I screamed very loudly and it even hurt my own ears!

" Really?"

But things got better. I missed him a lot but I knew I could talk to him every night. Talking helped."

Adam gave him a candid look. "Did he ever answer back?"

"No, he didn't." Fitz paused, thinking hard. What else could he say? " I had a grandpa and I talked to him when I was feeling lonely."

"I don't have a grandpa... Do I have a grandpa mommy?"

Fitz followed Adam' s gaze. Olivia was standing in the doorway.

"Your grandpa lives very far away-

"How about me? Fitz said with a small smile. " I can be like your grandpa."

Both Adam and Olivia grinned at the idea.

"Well...what do you say? Will you come and talk to me when you're feeling angry or sad?"

Adam looked uncertain and turned to his mother for reassurance. "Can I mommy?"

"Of course, sweetheart," smiling, Olivia came into the room and pulled the bed covers. " And now it' s time for bed. " she motioned for him ro follow her to the bathroom across the hallway. " c' mon, let' s brush teeth."

Adam bounced to his feet, gave his mother an spontaneous hug and then followed her to the bathroom.

When Olivia and Adam came back to the room, Fitz was sitting in the rocking chair in a corner across from Adam' s bed.

After Adam was warmly tucked in under the bed covers, Olivia settled down to read him a bedtime story. The book Adam selected was " David says No " about a little boy who loves saying no. Adam chuckled a couple of times but soon got sleepy.

Olivia then kissed her son and Fitz said goodnight with a smile.

"C' mon, grandpa," Olivia teased ushering him as she closed the door behind her. "We ain't got all day."

Fitz surprised her by suddenly pinning her against the nearest wall. " Pretty slick for an old grandpa, don't you think? " Olivia chuckled easing into his embrace. "Hmm...I've been waiting to do this all evening, " he mumbled kissing her softly. They kissed for another minute, their tongues exploring. Olivia then took his hand. For a moment, she considered guiding him into her bedroom but then made a bee line for the living room. There was so much they needed to discuss and she needed to take action now while she had the courage.

"Thank you for taking to Adam. I think he really likes you."

He smiled. "I hope so."

"You were so good with him. You're a natural."

"Honestly, I don't hang around kids much. A couple if friends of mine got kids but I don't usually interact with them much..."

"Oh, so you just got lucky?" She said before easing onto the corner of the couch with her torso angled toward him and one leg under her. Fitz sat down beside her.

" Nah, you know what I think it is?"

"What?"

"I see so much of you in him," he caressed her cheek tenderly, "and since I love everything about you...I think he realizes that at some level.

Snoopy the cat rounded the corner and strode towards Olivia with its tail up in the air. Olivia picked him up and put him on her lap.

" Adam is a great kid." He turned his body so it would angle hers and look into her eyes. "I can honestly say that you're a great mother. Even when Adam was trying your patience you stayed calm and in control. "

Olivia nodded, accepting the compliment graciously. " Parenting is a journey, and adventure just like in that movie Spy kids,"she smirked while stroking Snoopy's fur with both hands. "And I found many bumps in the road. But it's a wonderful journey." As if in agreement Snoopy started purring loudly. "And I made mistakes, messed up along the way " she went on with a nostalgic smile." When he was first born I was scared to hold him at first, he was so fragile it seemed, so precious I thought I might break him."

Fitz smiled at her, enamored with her facial expression as she told the story. It was so candid, so genuine.

"I was in shock those first days were overwhelming. I barely had time to myself even though mom was here helping for the first few days." She was going to say something about Derek not wanting her there but decided against it. The less she brought him up in conversation the better.

" And I worried too. Suddenly, I saw danger everywhere. Kidnappings and tornadoes were my greatest fears. Right around the time when Adam was still a newborn there was a kidnapping case in the news that really troubled me. A young mother of a toddler and a baby was out at the county fair when someone snatched her baby while she turned her head for a few seconds to tend to her toddler and assist her at a bathroom stall. The baby was in his stroller beside her but when she turned back the stroller and baby was gone. The mother couldn't understand it. There were other people around but apparently nobody saw anything. How could this have happened? How could her baby disappear in a fraction of a second never to be seen again."

Fitz was visibly moved by Olivia's narrative.

"For months I was afraid to take Adam places. All I could think about was what if it happened to me, to us? The scary thing was that it could happen to anybody, really. A baby could be taken in the blink of an eye. The mother at the fair hadn't done anything particularly neglectful. All she did was turn away for a few seconds. It could have happened to anybody. The thing I kept coming back to was that none of us is perfect...none of us can be one hundred percent vigilant.

Fitz readily agreed. " The unthinkable happens every day, every where around the world." He studied her for a moment. "So what happened, what convinced you to start living again? " When she didn't immediately answer, he added. " You're not about to tell me that you decided to hide at home for a year, are you?"

"No, no," she smiled. "I started seeing life and parenting more like an adventure. At first it was hard, which goes to show what can happen if you let fear take over your life. It can literally paralyze you. One day, I was getting Adam ready for bed. He was about 3 months old. I was singing him a lullaby and he looked at me with his big brown eyes and he laughed. It was the most beautiful thing to hear him laugh for the first time.

Fitz grinned back in response to the candid smile that played about her lips.

" I realized right then and there that there was so much beauty in the world I wanted him to see. I took him with me everywhere, showed him places and people. Nothing made me happier than see that look of joy on his face. And I took hundreds of pictures, wanting to record every moment in his life. I realized that parenting was the adventure of a lifetime...an adventure that most of us are ill prepared for. I didn't realize how parenting would change my outlook on life until it happens to me. "

Fitz stared back at Olivia, speechless. Suddenly parenting seemed highly appealing. Still, there was something he needed to ask. "Is there anything you would have done differently if you had to do it all over again?"

Olivia gave him a soft smile. There was no easy answer. "I don't know. Whatever happened, happened. It's in the past. "

"Fitz gazed at her with naked admiration. She was sure no other man had ever looked at her in this way.

"What is it? What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking that You are a wonderful woman, an incredible mother."

She beamed at him. His gaze deepened and their souls connect and do a happy dance.

But then, her smile faded. "Even...even after you saw Adam' s behavior today?

Fitz gave her a puzzled look.

" He can be a handful sometimes... "

"You mean he' s not perfect?" He said with mock astonishment.

Olivia rolled her eyes playfully.

They smiled at each other and then inexplicably, she looked away with a sudden need to pick at a loose thread on her blouse.

"I just didn't want you to make a premature commitment..." She said suddenly, gazing up at him." You know when we were at the beach and you told me you loved me...and started making plans...I just didn't think it was fair for you to do that without meeting Adam, without knowing what you were getting into."

Fitz had an 'aha' now he had an inkling of where she was coming from, he just had to be sure.

"I"m glad you changed your mind and I got to meet Adam today." He gazed intently into her eyes. He could sense that there was much more she needed to say. "Talk to me, Liv. I will listen and not judge you. At the airport, when you started talking about waiting before meeting Adam, I panicked. Honestly, I thought you were trying to break up with me and letting me down gently, and I over-reacted. I was feeling the pressure of having to say good-bye and dreading every minute of it."

"I was afraid too, but for a different reason. I was afraid for myself and Adam. I was trying to protect us...actually, I was trying to protect him from future heartbreak. I didn't want him to meet you and see us together if there was a chance that you and I would not work out. And I couldn't be sure about this...not until you met him..."

 **"** But then, what made you change your mind?"

She gave him a thin smile. Now was time to take the final plunge and reveal her deepest fear.

At once, a vision of her dream flooded her senses and

 ** _she saw herself looking down into the deep waters of the cenote and then plunging into water holding onto Fitz' s hand_**

"I realized that there are no guarantees in life and I had to move beyond my fear of failing. In order to conquer such fear, I had to acknowledge it, face it, feel it and release it, " _ **she closed her eyes for a moment and visualized herself emerging through the surface of the cenote, smiling."**_

"My biggest fear is that one day you'll wake up and you'll realize that I'm not the person you thought I was..." she paused and when she saw his look of disbelief she added, "It happens. What if you come to realize that we-Adam and I were not what you bargained for...?"

Putting a finger to her lips, he stopped her from continuing.

She looked down at Snoopy who'd fallen asleep on her lap. Then, she looked up at him with a sense of relief for she shared those worries that had weighed so heavily on her mind.

"It makes sense now. You thought that once our Cancun trip was over, that once the fairy tale was over, I would wake up and smell the coffee and realize that you were not worth the trouble?"

He stepped back and studied her closely and for a moment there she couldn't read his expression. "I'm not wrong about you. There's no way that the woman I see when we make love, the woman who looks at her son the way you do could be any other woman that the one I fell in love with in Cancun."

 _ **As she broke through the surface she met his eyes and they both smiled.**_

He reached out for her hand and held it with the cat between them. He rubbed her knuckles as he spoke, "I love you, Olivia Carolyn Pope, just the way you are... **whatever happens** , in the best and in the worst times, I'm here for you-he paused noting that she was hanging on to his every word-and if this sounds an awful lot like wedding vows is because that's what I ultimately want, to be married to you one day when we're ready-

Letting out the breath she realized she was holding, she reached up her hand to run it through his hair as he tilted his head to look into hers.

"Now don't get too excited there, this isn't an official marriage proposal," he chuckled and she chuckled back and all the tension between them melted away like butter on a summer day. "I'm here for you, Livvie, and there's not a single thing you can say or do that would make me love you any less."

Olivia sighed, her heart beating wildly. Everything was going well, much better than she ever expected, even though they still had to discuss the situation with Derek and the police investigation. She'd decided she would tell him everything tonight, he needed to know what they were up against.

Fitz picked up Snoopy and settled him down on the nearest arm chair and without missing a beat, he softly laid her down on the couch and he followed until their bodies were in perfect alignment. Looking at her beneath him, so vulnerable and in his eyes as beautiful as he'd ever seen her, it caused his heart to skip a beat as he leaned to kiss her forehead. Their foreheads touched. She ran her hands down his back and felt the delicious presence of every ridge and muscle. She licked her lips when she felt him pull back.

Looking up into his eyes she saw nothing but pure adoration.

"Hi," he whispered and she smiled. He kissed each eyelid and cheeks and finally her lips.

"Fitz?"

He pulled back a bit, "Hmm?" he mumbled.

"There's...there's something else you need to know."

 **A/N**

Olivia's dream in this chapter was the scene at the end of chapter seven. When I wrote that scene I had this idea that if I continued this story I would tie it in with the greater theme of taking the plunge, taking a leap of faith and Olivia trusting her future with Fitz (in this case by inviting him to meet her family).

Olivia and Fitz taking the plunge together into the cenote is symbolic of the start of their relationship. In essence, it' s a leap of faith.


	14. Author's s note and POLL

Dear Readers:

I started writing for another fandom but I have not abandoned my babies. I'm getting ready to post the next chapter for _A Match Made in Heaven,_ just posted and epilogue for _Moving Forward_ and I'm currently editing chapters for _The Miracle Maker_ (so far, I've edited the first 16 chapters out of 34).

I apologize for this being an author's note rather than another chapter. I've tried continuing this, but I'm just stuck. I recently edited the first seven chapters of this story, thinking I would find inspiration. But then, it occurred to me that I needed to make a big change. I'm thinking of doing without the Derek storyline altogether. The idea is that Adam's father is either deceased or has dropped out of his life. In order to do this, I will have to do a bit of re-vamping. This means, I would be making changes in the story for the better. The story will be essentially the same except I would take out all references to Derek. Most chapters would be the same except for the last three chapters. When I first wrote those chapters I was excited to get them out but then I found myself wondering, what now?

Anyhow, I'd like to know what you think about this. If most of you are you're really invested in the story as it is (including the last three chapters, # 11, 12 and 13), then I will most likely not make the change. Any suggestions are very much welcomed. I understand if you don't want to re- read a re- vamped story, please be kind. You might not need to re- read if I only change references to Derek.

VOTE FOR ONE

1) Keep the story as it is

2) Revamp the story. Doesn't matter how many chapters.

3) Revamp the story. Make changes to the last three chapters only plus all references to Derek.

4) I don't really know. Whatever happens!

Thanks so much for your wonderful support for this story and have a wonderful holiday weekend.


	15. I'm Going to Make This Place Your Home

**A/N:**

POLL Results: 

**The votes for the re-write and NO re-write (keep story as it is) were nearly tied! No-rewrite won by only two votes. So then, I grouped the no-rewrite votes with option 4 (I don't know/whatever) votes and got an additional seven votes for the winning team ;)  
**

 **Thank you all for voting (your response was much greater than I expected). It helped clear the fog in my head and I knew exactly what to do as I kept reading your comments. I was hoping for that. So thank you.** I wanted to come back to this story right away but I just have too many stories going on at one time. I'm hoping to get more writing time over the summer as long as I don't post any new stories, lol, (knock on wood).

Somebody asked if I'd been planning to bring Derek back from the dead. Haha, no, no. The reason for the storyline was so I could introduce the backpack mystery. I wasn't overly attached to it though. And then, as I started editing, I really wanted to get rid of it. In addition, I was also thinking it was the reason for the big drop in reviews in the last few chapters. Still, I didn't want to make any rash decisions and so I asked you. Another thing is that I myself don't like reading re-vamped stories so deep down I was thinking of it more like a last resort (that is if writer's block was here to stay ) . I was surprised however to learn that many of you didn't feel the same and would happily re-read.

My new plan for this story:

 **I will keep moving forward with this story.** If you voted for a re-write, you can always ignore the last few chapters. It really won't affect the story much at all from this point forward. ** There's a time jump in this chapter. **We will later learn what happened in those six months as you read, including the significance of the piece of paper that Olivia's mother found in Adam's backpack.

This chapter is a little short, but I really wanted to get it out to you ASAP. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Hold on to me as we go

As we roll down this unfamiliar road

And although this wave is stringing us along

Just know you're not alone

'Cause I'm going to make this place your home.

-Home by Phillip Phillips-

* * *

 **SIX MONTHS LATER**

 **Los Angeles, California.**

The mansion he grew up in was a sprawling, single story, twelve thousand square foot Spanish hacienda with coral tile roof, ceilings that are twenty five feet high, and Italian marble floors. An ornately carved, black wrought iron gate separated the street from the semi circular, orange and gray brick driveway, a driveway than can comfortably hold held a dozen the left of the main entrance is a four car garage that once housed a black Rolls, a copper-toned Bentley and a fire engine red Maserati as well as the silver Porsche that used to belong to his father.

The now vacant house had its own separate entrance from the other houses on the estate. The rooms were undeniably large and warmly decorated with an assortment of earth tones and filled with oversized overstuffed sofas and chairs, antique wooden tables and finely textured area rugs. Brightly colored abstract paintings by artists both well known and obscure covered the walls.

Even as a small child, Fitz felt comfortable moving about the labyrinth rooms, exploring each twist and turn of the classic Spanish architecture. He specially loved the large and open inner courtyard filled with flowers and tall blossoming trees and a central water fountain. It's shrubs were the perfect place to play hide and seek behind pink and blue hydrangeas.

…

"Wow, this house amazing," Olivia commented as Fitz finished giving them the grand tour.

"Which one is gonna be my room?" Adam asked for the second time today.

"Well, any room can be your room except for the master of course," Fitz answered his gaze shifting from Adam to Olivia.

"I thought you said…" She looked at him confused. "What about the lawsuit?"

Olivia was referring to the legal dispute as to ownership of the house.

"Yes, of course. I don't mean we could move in right now but I suppose sometime in the future. I don't know when that will be though as it's been tied up in court for the last year or so. But, I'm confident it will turn in my favor. This house belonged originally to my mother." Fitz shook his head. In his will, the great patriarch Grant had left the house to his half-brother Daniel and now, it was upon Fitz to prove that the transfer of ownership to the Grants by his own mother shortly before her death had been a fraudulent transaction. The property had been her separate personal property. Every time he thought about the details of the dispute, it filled him with rage so he promptly changed the subject.

"Are you ready to check out the pool?" Fitz asked Adam.

"Yay!" Adam started running to the back of the house to the sliding glass doors that led to the pool.

"Wait! Adam!" Olivia practically ran after him. "Don't open the door just yet. We need to get you in your swim suit." She turned to Fitz. "I wonder if it's warm enough?" Clearly, she was thinking of the freezing weather back home.

"Even if it's a little chilly out, the pool's heated, it should be okay," Fitz answered unlocking the arched doors that led to the patio. He crouched down to Adam's eye level. "Hey, buddy. No running on the deck or you'll have to come back inside. It's a safety rule. We don't want you to fall and get hurt. Okay?"

"Okay," Adam happily agreed. He couldn't wait to jump into the pool.

"Your mom wants you to change into your swimsuit," he added as Adam stepped outside where there was a long wooden deck which led into a rectangle shaped pool with a shallow end of two and half feet and a deep end of seven feet.

Adam turned to his mother. "Mommy, please! Can I go in right now?"

Feeling the sun already baking her skin, Olivia glanced over at Fitz, shaking her head in amazement, "So you were telling me about this California weather."

"I told ya. It's like 80 degrees and it's not even noon yet."

"I'm so jealous." She shook her head again. "This is still November you know," she added mostly to herself.

"Just say the word, baby and relocate down here with me," he suggested with a lazy smile. He knew he almost had her convinced and was hoping this trip would seal the deal.

She gave him a look that said, 'maybe' and then readjusted the strap of her duffel bag and took Adam to the changing rooms out to the side of the deck. A few minutes later, she came out in a wearing a pink bikini and holding Adam by the hand, trying to keep in check and prevent him from running alongside the pool.

Fitz was already in the pool swimming laps when Olivia let go of Adam's hand and he bounced over to the diving board. "I wanna jump!"

"Come to me," Fitz said positioning himself at a distance from the board, his arms outstretched.

Olivia held her breath. This was Adam's first time jumping off the diving board. Even though she'd enrolled him in swimming lessons over the summer, she wasn't all that confident in his swimming abilities.

The young boy hesitated as he got to the edge of the board and looked at his mother for approval.

"You can do it, baby!"

"Who's turning five this weekend?" Fitz reminded him in an encouraging tone.

Adam beamed. "ME!" Still, it seemed like a ten story drop to where Fitz was treading water, waiting for him.

"Jump, Adam! I'll be right here to catch you!"

As Adam jumped and fell through the air, terror hit his small little body, until he felt Fitz's arms around his waist as water rushed around him. He felt Fitz's arms holding him securely while he was underwater and knew that everything was going to be alright. When he finally emerged from the water, Adam rested his head on Fitz's chest. They were both beaming with pride.

Olivia joined them in the water. "You did it, baby!"

Fitz treaded water until they were at the shallow end where he released Adam; he needed to see how well the boy could swim.

"I can swim, watch me!" Adam shrieked.

"Well, that's good," Fitz agreed after watching him swim. "But for now, you need to stay in the shallow end. Okay, buddy?"

Adam huffed, insisting he was a good swimmer.

"You either follow the rules or we go back inside," Olivia reminded him.

After that, Adam resigned himself to his fate, although Fitz and Olivia stayed close to the boundaries just in case.

An hour later, Fitz stepped out of the pool to get drinks and Olivia had the chance to check him out. She sighed. This was the first time since Cancun she'd seen Fitz in his swimming trunks. He looking so magnificent and so trim, it nearly took his breath away. He looked fabulous in his rather baggy swim wear, as if he was trying to impress her. She couldn't figure it out, how he could do this to her without even trying.

She met him at the shallow end as he handed her a diet coke.

"Hey, beautiful, you look fabulous in that bikini," he murmured in her ear and then leaned back against the wall at the tiled edge of the pool. His boyish look right then and there reminded her of their Cancun vacation. A delicious shiver ran down her spine and felt her body respond with wetness between her thighs that had nothing to do with being in the water.

"I want a drink too!" Adam protested.

"Buddy," Fitz smirked, pointing to a chair on the deck where he had set down a cooler with drinks. "You got to drink yours outside the pool."

Fitz and Olivia shared a smile as Adam exited the pool and got himself a sports drink. They were thinking the boy had come a long way in the last six months. While it had not always been easy sailing, Adam had for the most part accepted Fitz in his life as a father figure. As it was, they were happy and counting their blessings.

* * *

….

After they had Adam settled down on the couch in the family room with his blankie and playing a Nintendo handheld device, Fitz and Olivia were ready for some alone time. Fitz had changed into a pair of black jeans and a light weight shirt and Olivia into a form-fitting white summer dress that came up to mid-thigh. He reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"It is a gorgeous house," Olivia reiterated for the third time today as she and Fitz walked over to the open courtyard and sat on the bench by the water fountain. She already pictured Adam running and playing in this part of the house, his laughter echoing through the walls.

"That's why I wanted you to see the house." It was not the main house off the Grant Estates but it was the house he grew up in. " I'm hoping you'd fall in love with it and would want to live here the rest of your life."

Olivia turned to him with a quizzical expression. "Fitz? I…I thought that the house was in dispute and…

She trailed off as her mind fully processes what he just said. "For the rest of my life?"

Fitz gave her his most charming boyish smile. "Yes…Liv, I want this house to be our house, the house where we start a family and live happily ever after.

Olivia froze. Was he asking what she thought he was asking?

He bridged the distance between them, taking her hands in his. "Liv, I want to marry you one day." His lip quivered a little, revealing he was a little nervous. He'd been thinking about it for a couple of days now and he wanted to make it clear to her how he felt. "This is not an official marriage proposal. I didn't get you a ring yet." He smiled apologetically. "Actually, I want us to go together and chose a ring—

He trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"Fitz…I…are you asking me?"

"There's no soft music, candlelight or wine. But yes, I am. I'm asking you."

Olivia's brown eyes stared at him wide-eyed.

Darn it, he hadn't meant this proposal to come out as a surprise. Just as there are good and bad marriages, there are good and bad proposals. And so, Fitz had challenged himself to script an authentic proposal of his own. The most important thing, he'd reasoned, was that his proposal sounded well thought out but also spontaneous in appearance. It's not that he loathed traditional marriage proposals but he loathed the possibility of being rejected.

And so, he thought that bringing Olivia to his mother's house and then bringing up the subject in a casual manner was his best bet. In this way, he'd manage to avoid the traditional surprise proposal in a romantic setting and going down on one knee. But even though it hadn't been his intention, it seemed like his proposal ended up being a surprise nonetheless.

"Well, what do you say? First of all, how do you like the house? Can you picture yourself living here the rest of your life?

"Ah…" She smiled brightly. She bit her lip and mulled the idea in her head. She could certainly see herself living in this house forever and loving it.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her murmur, "Yes."

They continued to hold hands, swinging them now in a low arc.

"Yes as in you love the house…or yes, you want to marry me?"

Olivia chuckled. "Yes. Yes to both."

Now it was his turn to be in shock. In truth, part of him had expected her to use Adam as an excuse as to why she wasn't ready to get married, to say that she needed more time. And that was part of the reason, he'd decided to just reveal his intentions to her at this point. The fact that she pressed him further made him decide to take the plunge and ask her.

Smiling, he took a moment to play one of this favorite songs on his mobile device: _Home_ by Phillip Phillips and set it down on the nearest side table.

Then, he took her in his arms and swung her around, gazing deeply into her eyes. "May I have this dance?"

She nodded, completely awestruck by the way he was sweeping her off her feet. She was a little unsteady at first, but it didn't take long for her to follow his lead. And soon their bodies synced perfectly together, sliding across the marble floor.

Even though the song was rather slow, he spun her around and then dipped her. He held her tight and sang with the song, "just know you're not alone, cause I'm going make this place your home."

His raspy voice sent a tingling sensation down to her toes.

The song continued to play, picking up the pace. 0oo-oo-oo. Ao-oo-oo. Aaa-aa-aa.

The tune was still playing in her head as they later headed for bed at the end of the day, and he reminded her that early in the morning they were heading for the main house to meet his family for the very first time.

"Don't worry, baby," he said softly giving her hand a comforting squeeze. "I'm not going to lie to you and say that my family will love you like I do. But I truly don't care what they think. I will not let you down and you're not alone. We're in this together, whatever happens... and I promise you something, I'm gonna make this place your home."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:**

Remember how a while back I said that I had a long file with the story lines and scenes already pre-written for this story? Okay.

 **This is the second chapter of the new story-line for this story.** Last chapter came out during that week when this site was all glitchy and refusing to send out update notifications, so if you think you missed it, go back one chapter. It's the one right after the author's note.

In this chapter, we re-visit a couple of Easter eggs I threw in chapters 8 & 10\. In Chapter 8, Liv gives Fitz a Cryptex after their tour of the pyramids and in chapter 10 Fitz tells Olivia a little about his mom and how she gave him a cryptex as a present before she died.

New character: Picture the character of Elizabeth (Lizzie) North here as Elizabeth Grant, Olivia's daughter in law.

Another character: Lastly, my description of the house in the last chapter was incomplete. The house is basically three houses in one, they're close together but don't share walls. The description of the house last chapter is the colonial style home. There's also a cottage and a town-home style. They're three different styles, this house actually exists in real life. Anyhow, please keep this in mind as **the Grant house is an important character in this fic, lol.**

* * *

The next morning.

Olivia sighed. She wondered if she would ever get used to this ostentatious wealth or if she would be forever destined to feel uncomfortable and out of place. Not that she would ever complain.

"Olivia?" Fitz gently inquired bringing her out of her musings.

"I'm sorry," she said her gaze shifting between Fitz and Adam who were sitting across from her in the formal dinning room gazing at her expectantly. "What's the question again?"

"Adam and I were wondering which place to make our residence after the wedding."

This morning, they'd woken up at the crack of dawn when Adam unaccustomed to his new surroundings had crawled onto their bed and settled himself right in the middle. Shortly after, Adam had jumped for joy when they told him of their wedding plans.

"Adam was telling us he wanted to live in the town-home because it's closest to the pool and frankly, I can also picture us making it our permanent place," Fitz said with a boyish smile. "What do you think?"

Right now, they were having breakfast in the colonial style home which was the centerpiece surrounded by a cottage on one side and a more modern style two story town-home on the other. Each building had its own distinct style while conserving some historic uniformity.

"And my bedroom could be upstairs!" Adam exclaimed excitedly. In his book, the biggest drawback of the colonial home was that it was a single story.

"Well, that's a hard question to answer right off the bat," Olivia said taking a bite of her Belgian waffles. Once upon a time, she used to have real problems such as balancing her checkbook, and once she got married, she envisioned spending hours deciding on the color of her stationary. Not that she was complaining. "I do love the modern style of the town-home," she said looking at Fitz with a dreamy look on her face, "but I also love the coziness of the cottage."

Fitz smiled at both Adam and Olivia. "Well, you know what. We can take all the time we need to decide."

Adam's little face turned pensive. "How about grandma? Where would she sleep?"

Olivia was touched that in all his excitement her son had not forgotten his grandma. She turned to Fitz and she knew he was thinking what she was thinking. It would be great if they could convince her mother to live here with them. She could just picture Evelyn Pope taking residence in the cottage, she would love it.

" We're going to try our best to convince her to move here with us," Fitz said.

"But she loves it back in Ypsilanti," Olivia went on. "She's lived there half her life and that's where all her friends live."

"Maybe she's not ready to move right now," Fitz reasoned, "but we hope she will take us up on our offer in a year or two at the most."

Olivia nodded and was getting ready to add something else when the housekeeper suddenly ventured in with an apologetic look on her face. "Ms. Elizabeth is here to see you, sir," she said to Fitz.

"Thank you, Jane." Fitz turned to Olivia. "Elizabeth is Daniel's wife."

Olivia nodded. Ah, the in- laws making an surprise visit

As if on cue, Elizabeth entered the room along with her son Daniel Jr, AKA Junior who appeared to be one or two years older than Adam.

"Fitz, Glad to see you're back. I know you're coming over for dinner tonight but I was just driving by and decided to say hello," she said eyeing Olivia with curiosity. "I see you have company."

"Elizabeth, this is my fiancée Olivia and her son Adam. Olivia, this is my sister in-law Elizabeth and her son Junior."

Elizabeth (blonde, in her thirties) was unable to hide the look of shock on her face. "Fiancée? I had no idea…I didn't even know you were even dating anybody."

"Well, we've been keeping to ourselves lately, haven't we?" Fitz said referring to the fact that that he and Daniel were not actually in speaking terms not since the dispute over the house had been tied up in court.

Olivia felt Elizabeth's eyes scrutinizing her. No doubt the woman was in shock over the fact that Olivia was black.

"Nice to meet you, Elizabeth," Olivia said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, a reaction to the other woman's attitude. She gazed over at Elizabeth's son with a sweet smile. "And you go by Junior or Daniel?"

Junior shrugged. "Junior."

"You wanna play?" Adam offered bouncing in his seat, yet still looking at his mom for permission.

"Why don't you sit with us and have some coffee?" Fitz said to Elizabeth out of politeness while Olivia smiled at Adam and excused him from the table.

The two boys ran off to play like best buddies along the corridors to courtyard with the water fountain.

Elizabeth took a seat at the other end of the table. "Daniel doesn't know I'm here. I was hoping that we could reach an amicable agreement."

"You mean regarding the house?" Fitz scoffed while the housekeeper served their guest a cup of coffee . Elizabeth dismissed her with a wave of the hand and stir in the sugar and creamer. "What, are you speaking for my brother now?

"Fitz, there's no need for any animosity here. I came in peace."

Fitz smiled to himself at her choice of words, thinking of the book currently sitting on his nightstand, 'We came in peace for all mankind,' the untold story of the Apollo 11 mission.

"C'mon, Elizabeth. If you really mean what you say, then we're not discussing anything regarding the house."

Elizabeth smiled a condescending smile. "Sure." Her gaze shifted to Olivia.

"The boys are around the same age, aren't they?" Olivia asked genuinely interested. "What grade is Junior in?"

"He's in second grade."

"Adam just started Kindergarten."

"Maybe they can become good friends," Fitz said looking at Elizabeth in a tone that conveyed that would be an interesting turn of events. In truth, Fitz doubted a friendship between the boys would matter much to either his brother or his wife.

* * *

xxx

Adam and Junior ran past the water fountain through a long corridor to the back of the house.

"What's down there?"

Adam looked at the skinny steps that led down to a basement and decided to climb down while Junior looked on. He tried the knob on the wooden door. "It's locked."

"That's where the treasure is. Uncle Fitz has the key," Junior said in a conspiratorial tone. "Ask him to give it to you."

Adam climbed the stairs half way up and nearly lost his balance as there was no banister. "There's a treasure down there?" His voice escalated with enthusiasm. "Like a pirate's treasure?"

Junior smiled knowingly. "Yeah, diamonds. Big diamonds. My mom says the treasure belongs to us though and not to Uncle Fitz," his eyes danced with excitement at the big reveal.

The smile in Adam's face faded. Even though he didn't fully understand the implications, he instinctively recognized the bone of contention and that he and Junior were on opposite teams.

* * *

xxx

"How did you like playing with Junior?" Olivia asked later in the day after Elizabeth left. The boy was two years older and at their young age two years made a world of difference.

"Yeah," Adam shrugged and then turned to Fitz. "There's a basement and Junior says you have the key."

"C'mere," Fitz patted the cushion beside him. Adam quickly plopped down.

"A basement?" Olivia questioned, intrigued. A basement didn't go with the colonial style of the house.

"The original house was significantly smaller in the old days and yes a basement in Southern California is practically unheard of, but my folks kept making additions to the house, expanding it. And yes, that included the basement."

"Can we go in there ?" Adam turned to Fitz with pleading look . "Please?"

Olivia and Fitz exchanged a smile. It was hard saying no when he asked like that.

"Adam, there's nothing in there for you to see, just some old boxes and furniture ."

Adam instantly wailed, "Ah…but Junior says there's a treasure down there, a pirate's treasure.

Fitz's gaze shifted from Adam to Olivia. "That's a legend that's been circulating since as long as I can remember. But as far as I know there's no truth to it."

* * *

xxx

"What did you think of Elizabeth?" Fitz asked as he and Olivia relaxed with some lemonade and a snack in front of the water fountain.  
Olivia pursed her lips. "How about stuck- up and phony?"

Fitz gave her a small smile. "Yep, aside from that?"

"It may be a little premature, but I don't think she cares about anything other than money. Am I right?"

"She and Daniel are cut from the same cloth."

Olivia sighed. Her gaze shifted to Adam who was occupied running his remote control car along the corridors. She was glad to see him having a good time. "Is there any truth to this treasure legend?"

"There may be."

Olivia gazed at Fitz, intrigued. "I had the feeling there was something to Junior's story. Is that why they want the house?"

"Before she died, my mom gave me a cryptex a year before she died. Her mother came to this country from Russia during the Russian famine. She brought with her a case of jewels, rare diamonds. She hid them somewhere in this house but never told my mother the exact location, she found out about it by reading her diary after her mother passed away." He paused. Olivia was staring at him wide-eyed. "But in truth we would probably have to tear this house down in order to find anything."

"Wait…what does the cryptex have to do with the jewels?"

"Huh…sorry. I didn't explain. The cryptex had a secret message with some numbers and some coordinates. I tried to figure out what it meant; I think my mother made up the story about the treasure to keep me interested trying to figure out the puzzle. She knew I enjoyed that puzzles and riddles."

"So…then you're not sure if the story about the jewels is real or make-believe?"

"I don't know, really. But one thing for sure, I would never consider in my wildest dreams demolishing the house to find this so called Russian treasure."

Olivia nodded. "Where's the cryptex now…the original one that is?"

Fitz pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, it got lost… somehow. Although I think it would turn up sooner or later."

Olivia's lips slowly curved into a wide smile. "So that's why you were excited when I gave you the Mayan cryptex back in Cancun."

"Well, okay. I admit I spent a good part of my childhood obsessed with the number riddle and trying to find the secret jewels," he smirked. "I always had a great imagination. My mother knew she had to keep me busy in order to keep me out of trouble," he chuckled.

Later

Fitz went to check on Adam while Olivia was taking getting ready for the dinner party later tonight at his brother's house.

Adam was in his room, playing with his Bob the Builder toys, dressed in blue jeans and a blue polo shirt. There were toys scattered all over the bed.

Fitz lay down on the bed, propped on one elbow to watch him play.

"I don't think Junior likes Bob the Builder."

"Well, he's a little older than you."

"I'm a big boy."

Fitz smiled at that. "Yeah, of course."

"Fiz," Adam started hesitating a little. He always had trouble pronouncing the name.

"Hmm?"

"When you marry mommy you will be my daddy?"

"Yes."

"What about my daddy in heaven?"

"That will never change, he will always be your daddy."

"So I will have two daddies?"

"That's okay. Lots of kids have two daddies."

"So I can tell Junior you're my daddy when you get married?"

"Yes, absolutely," Fitz ruffled Adam's hair. "And you don't have to wait until the wedding. You can tell him right now if you want. I love you, Adam. From that first day I met you, I've loved you just like you're my son," he continued with emotion, his lip quivering a little. "In fact, I want you to be my son on legal papers too. That means that your last name will change to Grant…if that's okay with you, that is." He waited worriedly for Adam's reaction. He didn't want Adam to feel as though Fitz was wanting to erase his father with the name change. But this was something that both he and Olivia had discussed and it seemed like it would be the best for Adam in the long run. He'd decided to mention it without Olivia present because he didn't want Adam to feel pressured. He hoped he made the right choice.

"Wow," Adam said at last. "I want you to be my daddy. I want to tell Junior you're my daddy." He furrowed his brow. "But, if I have a different last name…can I still be Adam?"

Fitz let out a soft chuckle. "Adam, you will always be you. A change of last name doesn't mean you'll be someone else. In fact, nothing will really change. Your mom will always be your mom, you will always be Adam and I will always be here for you. And the three of us will always be together as a family."

Adam beamed. "Great! I can't wait to tell Junior!"

Fitz pulled Adam into a hug. He couldn't wait to make it official and for Adam to become his son in every way that mattered.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: in a previous chapter (s) I said Fitz' dad remarried and had Daniel. I think I went back and changed that but there might still be a reference somewhere. If you find it, let me know and I will fix it

* * *

When Daniel Grant first heard the news of his brother's engagement though his wife's lips, he was most concerned with the fact that said woman had a child, whereas Elizabeth was solely focused on Olivia's blackness.

"I think you're missing the big picture here," Daniel pointed out. "This kid could end up heir to Fitz's entire estate including the house."

"Wh-what?" Elizabeth looked at her husband as though he'd developed horns on the back of his head. "What are you talking about? The child is not his."

"Once he marries her, and let's say something were to happen to Fitz…the boy and the wife would technically be his heirs."

Elizabeth pouted and narrowed her gaze. As far as she was concerned, her son was the only heir to the Grant fortune; it was a given. "And how can stop that from happening?"

* * *

Xxx

The dinner party

The Grant estate was located in Sherman Oaks and stretched for at least 10 acres. It was divided into the northern and Southern sections. Daniel and his wife lived in the Northern section and the manor house in dispute was located in the south.

Driving up to the mansion in the north, Olivia and Fitz parked in front of an 8,000 square feet Mediterranean residence. It was a seven bedroom, ten bathroom home with an outdoor kitchen and dining area, swimming pool, spa and canyon view.

Almost as soon as Olivia and Fitz arrived and after introductions were made, Junior enticed Adam, who was already clad in his swimming trunks to join him in the swimming pool. Olivia admonished Adam, he was supposed to wear his arm floaties the entire time he was in the pool.

"Ah, mom!" Adam complained. Junior and two other kids were swimming without floaties so he would be the only one wearing them.

"Hey, you give me any trouble and we'll be leaving the party," Olivia replied in a no-nonsense tone, telling him she'd be watching him like a hawk. She really meant that Adam would have to sit with the adults for the remainder of the evening but this sounded more dramatic.

The adults gathered in the outdoor dining area beside a good- sized heated pool with a built in waterfall. It was a little after 7 pm and the night was warm. Olivia was wearing a salmon cocktail dress with a draped, bare back. For a minute there she feared she was overdressed, but then realized that even though the atmosphere was informal, buffet dinner style, the pool party seemed to be only for the children. She much preferred this to feeling out of place in an elegant sit down dinner, which apparently according to Fitz, her in-laws were fond of hosting and usually entailed a formal invitation by mail at least a couple of weeks in advance.

Fitz and Daniel barely spoke to one another. The half-brothers were never truly close. Fitz was four years older than Daniel, their father's love child. Fitzgerald the II had married actress Mia Farrow in the1970's. After the wedding, Fitzgerald senior gave the couple land to build their own custom home as a wedding present. Reportedly, Mia Farrow spent her own money in building the mansion and brought her elderly parents (the ones that came to America escaping the Russian famine) to live with her and her new husband. When Fitz was ten years old, the unthinkable happened: he lost both his parents in a fatal car accident. It had been absolutely devastating.

After their deaths, Fitz went to live with his grandparents (the Grants) in the Mediterranean house as his maternal grandparents were in poor health. A couple of years later, his paternal grandparents adopted Daniel after his mother had come forward claiming the boy was a Grant. Fitz remembered being angry about having a half brother. He couldn't imagine his father cheating on his mother; he had grown up believing that his parents had a happy marriage.

"Glad you guys could make it," Daniel smiled his best fake smile, blatantly proud of his perfectly styled surfer blond hair. His gaze shifted to Olivia. "So you're the lucky girl who captured L.A's hottest bachelor."

Olivia smiled slightly and reached out to shake his hand. The man was tall like Fitz but other than that, he looked nothing like Fitz. She was hard pressed to see a family resemblance but then again they were half-brothers.

Nice meeting you, Daniel."

Daniel shook her hand a little longer than necessary, his blue eyes sparkling with delight. Interesting since she'd been expecting some hostility from him but there seemed to be none.

"I'm the lucky one," Fitz slipped a deliciously possessive arm around her waist. "She's one of a kind, little brother." His hold on her was possessive yet caring.

Daniel threw his head back and laughed as though Fitz had said something really funny. "Who am I to disagree with that?"

After that, Fitz and Olivia moved on to mingle with the other guests who although pleasant, tended to think a little too highly of themselves.

Twice throughout the evening, Olivia caught Daniel staring at her with a look of wonderment whenever no one was looking. What was up with that? She glared back at his open rudeness each time and stared him down verging on the side of insolence.

Elizabeth oblivious to her husband's behavior, spent most of the evening talking to the other guests, specifically two other couples with whom they frequently socialized.

Fitz stayed by Olivia's side for most of the evening, they gravitated toward a third couple. They were in their early thirties and appeared to be the most down to earth from the group.

"My most embarrassing moment was when my kid asked me a homework question while I was watching the game with the guys," the man began loud enough to command attention. Suddenly, everyone else stopped to listen as it became clear he was about to tell a joke.

"Dad, where is the Alps, Johnny asked. So I told him to ask his mother, she's the one who always puts everything away. And then of course, everyone laughed."

Everyone laughed politely.

Even though Olivia enjoyed meeting new people and the evening had been fairly entertaining, she was glad when it was all over and they could finally go home.

* * *

xxx

SEA WORLD

The next day, Fitz, Olivia and Adam visited Sea World. Adam squealed in excitement when he learned they would be dining next to the Killer whale Shamu's 3.2 million gallon tank as part of a small group which included two other families. Fitz had wanted the experience to be intimate yet not exclusive. Part of the reason for this was that he wanted today to be special and indeed, it felt as though the three of them were being exclusively entertained by the staff.

Sitting in a covered patio dining area, the group prepared to watch the show, one of the last to be performed in the world famous amusement park. And even though Fitz understood the reasons especially in the aftermath of the death of one of the trainers back in 2010 following a performance, he was saddened that the killer whale shows would be phased out by the end of this year. He didn't want Adam to miss out and wanted to keep bringing Adam to Sea World and watch the killer whale shows. He hoped that Adam was old enough to store the experience in his mind for the rest of his life.

Adam squealed in excitement at seeing Shamu dive onto a platform in front of its trainer. From his seat it was as if he was right there up front with the killer whale. Every once in a while, he would gaze back at Fitz and Olivia as if to say, 'WOW, did you see that?'

Soon after the start of the show, they were server a quinoa spinach salad, tri tip and sustainably caught Alaskan Pollock. Adam was happy with a bowl of macaroni and cheese, milk and a Shamu-shaped cookie. But in truth he was so entranced by the show that he barely touched his meal.

The highlight of the show was when the trainer did a fairly quick show of explaining what the killer whales eat and how they are trained without any pressure. If a whale doesn't feel like jumping out of the water on command, the trainers don't freak out. If on the other hand, they do perform tricks on command, they do get a mouthful full of fish.

Adam squealed again when Shamu was rewarded with crush ice.

"To him, the crushed ice is like ice cream is to you," Olivia said to Adam.

A few moments after that, the big screen behind Shamu panned to the guests in the restaurant.

"Look mommy, we're on TV!" Adam exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down his seat.

Sure enough, the camera was focused on them. For a moment, it focused on Adam and at the bottom of the screen it showed the captioning: _FUTURE SHAMU TRAINER_

Everyone, including the other guests around them chuckled.

And then, the camera most unexpectedly zoomed in on Olivia and Fitz.

 _KISS ME, YOU FOOL,_ the caption read. Some laughter in the background.

Fitz smiled his best boyish smile before leaning across the table and giving Olivia a peck on the lips.

Right after that, and with the couple still on camera, the caption changed to:

 _OLIVIA,_

 _FITZ WANTS TO ASK YOU A QUESTION_

The camera focused on Olivia, smiling, and holding her breath in expectation. She looked gorgeous. She had just applied a fresh coat of lipstick. She was clad in a beautiful white top and royal blue cardigan and Ralph Lauren trousers and her hair framed her face in loose waves.

 _ **WOULD YOU MARRY ME?**_

Olivia gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. She turned to Fitz, her expression shouting: _OMG, Are you really doing this?_

He smiled and cocked his head to the side as if to say, _you're really are so surprised?_ He then lowered himself to one knee, takes her hand into his and said," I know I already done this once but you, my love, deserve more than that."

Smiling, he pulled out a jewelry box and opened it. "I know what I said before about picking out a ring together. We can still do that if you want. But I wanted to give you this and I couldn't wait another day. I love you more than anything in the world," his gaze shifted to Adam who was watching them intently on the big screen and corrected himself. "I love you both, you and Adam so much and I thought this was the perfect time and place to ask you again…and even though I think I know the answer, I must ask you again, will you marry me Olivia Pope?"

"Yes, YES!" Olivia giggled. "You can ask me every day if you want! My answer will never change, I will always, always say yes."

The audience around them let out a merry chuckle.

Fitz's eyes crinkled with a boyish smile. "Olivia, you make me the happiest man alive," he declared, sliding onto her finger the most beautiful golden ring she had ever seen with a crest surrounded by rubies and diamonds.

"This ring was my mother's. It was probably my grandmother's and I think one day we'll find out more about its history."

"It's absolutely gorgeous."

Olivia launched herself into his arms as he rose to his feet. "I love you, Fitz. I love you so much; I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

Holding her by the waist, Fitz spun her around a couple of times and then pecked her lips with a sweet kiss.

Feeling left out, Adam came to stand by them. Both Fitz and Olivia gazed down at him lovingly and pulled him into a hug. Together they walked outside the gazebo and then Fitz swooped the little guy onto his shoulders which made him scream with glee.

After the show and dinner were over, they came down below deck to view the killer whales from the underwater viewing tank. While Adam amused himself standing face to face to the tank, Fitz lamented the fact that it was a true shame their future children would never get to see the whales in a live show.

"I think it was definitely a step in the right direction to stop breeding killer whales in captivity." Olivia said. While she could see his point, she was more of an animal activist.

Fitz was not so quick to agree. His childhood had been filled with awe-inducing memories of Sea World. Once upon a time, he'd enjoyed watching an aquatic rodeo where trainers rode astride the orcas and were amazingly capitulated into the air. In more recent times, the shows had morphed into choreographed presentations of back-flips and dances which still had the power to elicit oohs and ahhs from the audience. Fitz had never ceased to be fascinated by these majestic creatures. He even had briefly considered becoming a whale trainer. Olivia was surprised to hear this.

"I can just picture you as a teen-aged animal trainer," she smirked. "Hey, by the way…I've heard the fish smell never really goes away. So I think you lucked out there."

"Hey, don't laugh." He put his hand to his heart in feigned hurt. "I was only a child."

This only made Olivia burst out laughing. They were sitting side by side and she buried her face on his shoulder trying to control the laughter. After she calmed down, she followed Fitz's gaze. Adam and a couple of other kids were making faces at the whales and laughing.

"Do you think though, one day Sea World would become an exclusive digital experience?" Olivia wondered after a while.

This very summer, virtual reality was going to be replacing live encounters with maritime animals. The most talked about event was the arrival of the Orca360 was sure to be a big hit, a way to experience a connection with the whales and their trainers without having to leave the comfort of your swivel chair.

"I don't think so," Fitz replied thoughtfully. "Even though Sea World will definitely change and be experienced in a different way. It will sure be interesting to watch. But this is certainly a different world than the one we grew up in."

"Yes," Olivia agreed, her attention shifting to Adam who was engrossed watching a killer whale fast approaching the glass barrier toward them.

"For me, it's a little sad to realize that the current generation of killer whales will be the last here at Sea World."

"Maybe eventually, it will become more of a theme park than a zoological experience," Olivia said as they started walking and Adam spotted a ride called Riptide Rescue. "Hey, hey, slow down," she said as her son tried pulling her to get her to walk faster.

"That ride looks awfully big," Fitz pointed out. "We have to check and see if you're tall enough for it."

"I am, I am, I'm a big boy! See?" Adam shouted excitedly when he stood against the measuring board for the ride and passed the test.

"Must ride with an adult, though," the ride operator said.

Fitz and Olivia looked at one another and asked Adam in unison who he wanted to ride with.

"Fiz!" Adam said without hesitation with his cute pronunciation and then looked at Olivia. "Next you can ride with me, mommy," he added in a gesture of generosity (at least it was so from his perspective) which made both Fitz and Olivia chuckle.

"I forgot," Adam murmured when Fitz was helping him get on the ride.

"What? What did you forget?"

"That I'm supposed to call you daddy."

"Oh, don't you worry, buddy. You'll start getting used to it pretty soon."

Next thing they knew, they were both spinning up high in a helicopter-like ride which had Adam shouting with excitement.

"Again, Again!" Adam exclaimed as soon as the ride was over.

After Adam got to ride a couple of more times, they headed on to watch the Clyde and Seamore's Sea Lions's Live which was widely popular a sea lion and otter production. Adam sat in his seat absolutely fascinated. Olivia took a few snapshots of Fitz with his arm around Adam who was leaning against him absorbed in the show. She was still in awe at how close Fitz and Adam had become in the past couple of months. It nearly brought tears of happiness to her eyes.

After that, they signed up for The dolphin interaction program where Olivia and Adam had a chance to interact with bottlenose dolphins in the water. Fitz stayed backed as a spectator, after all, someone had to be the one filming and taking pictures. The trainers worked one on one with Adam and Olivia and guided them to feed, touch and give behavior signals to the dolphins.

Both Olivia and Adam wore black wet-suits and waded in the water with a dolphin named Dottie who had recently survived kidney stone surgery never attempted before in dolphins.

Later they moved to a deeper water are and sat on the side while Dottie came out of the water and even allowed Adam to touch its flippers while holding herself upright and interacted with him. At the very end, Dottie seemed particularly taken with Adam who gave her a small hug.

"Oh, I will miss you so much," Adam whispered to the dolphin. His expression was particularly adorable. "I wish I could take you home."

"You got Snoopy at home, remember? He might get jealous." Goodness. She'd almost forgotten about the cat. She made a mental note; they needed to fly Snoopy back with them but they would wait they settled down in California for good.

Adam looked at his mother thoughtfully. "Yes, but he's back in home…our other home."

"Yes, baby, but grandma is taking good care of him."

"Did someone say something about going home?" Fitz said in a greeting even as they exited the dolphin interaction program.

"NO! NO! I wanna see the sharks!" Adam practically shouted with youthful exuberance as he ran ahead toward the first road sign on a wooden posts with arrows pointing in different directions.

"Hey, can we get some of those signs for the house?" Olivia asked as they both walked at a brisk pace to catch up with Adam.

Fitz let out a laugh.

"Don't laugh, I'm serious," Olivia said half serious, half joking. "I worry one day we wouldn't be able to find our boy and we might need to call a search and rescue team."

"Speaking of not being able to find him," Fitz raced ahead. "Adam, wait for us little buddy, we wouldn't want you to get lost," he said in a serious tone, grabbing his hand. "You stay close to us." Even though he had his security detail team follow them at a discreet distance for this trip, he wanted the boy to feel protected and cared for by him.

"Adam, Fitz is right," Olivia said as she and Fitz held hands with Adam on the other side of Fitz. They continued walking, passing shops and restaurants as they weaved through the crowd. "Think about it, Fitz. We could give hallways and corridors names such as Adams Avenue or Fitz Avenue," she added after a while.

Fitz chuckled. "Better still, we could turn a section of the house into our very own amusement park with bright neon lights."

At last, they arrived at the shark exhibit. They breezed through the caves with sharks of the small variety and barely took any pictures. Adam's feet came to an abrupt halt when they arrived at the moving platform that would carry them through an acrylic tunnel with sharks swimming over and alongside you. He looked terrified.

"You want me to carry you?" Fitz offered. "They can't get out. That's pretty strong glass, believe me."

Adam still hesitated, biting his lip furiously. He was a big boy; he didn't need to be carried, he could walk into the tunnel on his own.

"How about you just hold my hand then?"

The three of them stepped onto the moving platform with Fitz holding Adam's hand and Olivia taking pictures. The tone of the exhibit was dark and menacing, yet once Adam went through it the first time, he kept wanting to go on it again and again. Olivia and Fitz happily obliged as they had a great time bemoaning the fact that they might as well camp out at the shark exhibit for the night. Adam on the other hand, didn't think it was very funny. He said he would NOT enjoy camping with the sharks late at night.

"Kids this age say the darnest things," an older couple beside them commented, looking at Adam. Fitz wholeheartedly agreed. He loved the kid to pieces and nearly every day, he was amused by something the boy had said. He could hardly wait to have kids of his own with Olivia.

"You think we can get another little one just like him one day?" Fitz whispered in her ear just as Olivia was getting ready to do a video shoot in the shark tunnel.

Olivia smiled at him rather idiotically and nearly dropped her mobile (in her mind's eye she saw it falling face down on the rugged surface and cracking the screen). Wow. His comment could not have possibly come at a better time, she thought.

"I don't know why, but somehow I see us already married with four kids," Fitz said in a dreamy tone as they stepped off the moving platform and away from the sharks, reaching for her hand. He could already envision holding a brown-eyed, caramel skinned bundle of joy.

"Four kids, huh? Is that counting Adam?"

"Hmm…Yeah." Fitz smirked back. Even though at times, Adam counted for two. His tantrums were usually random and so unlike the charming boy he usually was, plus he had the energy of the energizer bunny.

"Yipee! I want four brothers!" Adam shouted.

"Only brothers?" Olivia protested, making a face, "I'd be unfairly outnumbered!"

"Yeah, I agree with your mom here, that wouldn't be fair," Fitz said looking at Adam. "You gotta have a couple of sisters to balance things out."

"A couple huh?"

The couple smirked at each other as Adam ran ahead toward the exit, wanting to go back into the Shark Encounter exhibit once again. They hurried to catch up with him.

"Ah, why does it feel like we're going around in circles?" Olivia chuckled.

"Cos' we are," Fitz smirked back. "So what do you think? I know four kids is a lot of work. But I would be happy with one or two if you want."

"Okay," she said quietly, surprising him. Was that all she had to say?

Fitz searched her gaze after they entered the cave and peered down the 700, 000 gallon stone carved aquarium. This time, a Sea World team member was giving a talk about sharks and Adam slowed down his pace to listen and ask questions. He was really interested in learning the difference between male and female sharks.

"Fitz," she murmured his name, wrapping her arm around him. "I love the idea of having kids with you," she whispered cuddling closer. "At least two kids, I think. Three in total counting Adam."

In response, Fitz kissed the top of her head. He wanted nothing but to make her happy, and the romantic side of him thought this moment was just perfect.

* * *

Xxx

"I want you to get an eviction order, they must vacate the house. No one should be allowed to live there pending the final ruling."

Cyrus clicked his tongue. "Well, that really wouldn't fly. Fitz is not technically a tenant of the house."

"File a civil lawsuit, one that prevents him from occupying the house."

Cyrus sighed. Ever since patriarch Grant had passed on, he'd been caught in the middle of the feud between the two brothers; his loyalties had remained with the late patriarch. He was still the executor of the estate but for the most part, he did whatever was required of him. Even so, he recognized that what Daniel was planning on doing was just plain hateful. There was no need for such a hostile action. Surely Fitzgerald would abide by the final ruling if it was not in his favor and vacate the property if that was the case.

"You do realize that your brother and his fiancée are currently living in the house, don't you?"

"Fitz was always egotistical, always assuming he's in the right and that in the end the judge will rule in his favor." Daniel's eyes narrowed to mere slits. His hands were folded quietly on the table before him, His body was relaxed and his breathing regular and quiet. But in his eyes, a strange fire burned. It was as if his whole soul was wrapped in layers of evil. "They should have never moved in the first place."


End file.
